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Lead at Any Level

  • Indiana Youth Institute

    Building Resilience and Connection Statewide

Supporting Those Who Support Our Youth

When Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) set out to strengthen the state’s youth-serving workforce, they needed engaging, actionable professional development that could meet people where they are—online, on-site, and statewide. Lead at Any Level® has been a trusted partner in that mission, delivering high-energy programs that help youth workers navigate change, strengthen communication, and lead with confidence.

Client Snapshot

The Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) equips youth-serving professionals and organizations with training, resources, and data to improve outcomes for young people across Indiana. Through its Youth Worker Cafés, regional virtual events, and the annual Kids Count® Conference, IYI brings learning and inspiration directly to those making a difference in their communities.

The Challenge

Youth workers face increasing complexity in their roles—shifting policies, staffing shortages, burnout, and rapidly changing community needs. IYI needed a reliable partner who could design programs that were engaging for diverse audiences, scalable across counties and regions, and aligned with the goals of its Youth Worker Wellbeing initiative.

Our Solutions

Lead at Any Level® has become a go-to partner for IYI by providing a statewide slate of in-person and virtual programs focused on leadership, communication, and resilience.


To date, Amy C. Waninger delivered 16 total sessions, including:

  • 13 Youth Worker Cafés across Indiana—ten in-person county events and three virtual regional sessions

  • Three presentations at IYI’s Kids Count® Conference


Signature programs included:

  • Moving from Panic to Purpose: Responding to Changes in Your Career

  • Our Brains Are Biased: Introduction to Unconscious Bias

  • Applying Emotional Intelligence for Personal and Professional Success

  • Building Resilient Connections: Navigating Interpersonal Dynamics for Success

  • Network Like a Champ: 5 Critical Connections You Need in Youth Work

  • Story-Seeking for Connection: Building Trust Through Curiosity


Each session was customized for youth-serving audiences and emphasized practical application, self-reflection, and peer connection.


The Results

Across all engagements, Talkadot feedback demonstrated exceptional participant satisfaction:

  • 95–100% found the sessions valuable

  • 90–95% would attend another session with the same speaker

  • Participants consistently described Amy’s programs as engaging, relevant, interactive, and inspiring


Common themes included renewed motivation, improved communication, and actionable tools to manage change and build stronger professional relationships.


The partnership also established a consistent statewide learning experience for youth workers—linking local programs, regional initiatives, and IYI’s flagship conference under a common language of resilience and leadership.

Extended Impact Through the Youth Worker Wellbeing Grant Program

As a preferred partner for the Indiana Youth Institute’s Youth Worker Wellbeing Grant Program, Lead at Any Level provides training, assessments, and consulting services that help youth-serving organizations strengthen leadership capacity, communication, and team connection.


In addition to direct engagements through IYI, Lead at Any Level collaborates with the Amulet Consortium, a trusted delivery partner with whom Amy maintains a mutual subcontracting relationship.

Together, they have delivered grant-funded leadership and culture programs to seven youth-serving nonprofit organizations, including multi-event collaborations and repeat engagements with at least five of those clients—with additional work pending.


Representative clients under this partnership include:

  • YWCA Northeast Indiana – year-long assessment, consulting, and training engagement (see case study)

  • Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana–Michiana – multi-session leadership and change-management series (see case study)

  • Additional youth-serving nonprofits supported through ongoing Amulet Consortium collaborations (see case study)


This delivery partnership extends IYI’s mission statewide—ensuring that youth-serving professionals at every level have access to high-impact, evidence-based programming that fosters resilience, connection, and wellbeing.

Client Perspective

“Amy’s sessions are always energizing, practical, and immediately applicable. Our youth workers leave with new insights, stronger networks, and a renewed sense of purpose.”

By the Numbers

  • 16 total IYI engagements (2024–2025)

  • 13 Youth Worker Cafés in 11 Indiana counties and 3 regions

  • 3 Kids Count® Conference sessions

  • 7 grant-funded nonprofits served through the Amulet Consortium partnership

  • 95–100% positive participant feedback


    • Ready to Strengthen Your Youth-Serving Workforce?

    Whether you’re supporting youth workers, developing leaders, or building a culture of resilience, Lead at Any Level® can help. Our data-driven programs equip teams to thrive through change—at every level of your organization.

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