Competency Learning Collaborative

In November 2025, SSN launched a Learning Collaborative focused on embedding future-ready competencies into youth-facing work. The Learning Collaborative brought together four community-based organizations to explore how to better support young people in building future-ready skills. 

This Learning Collaborative provided the opportunity for organizations to:

• deepen their understanding of competency-based learning

• explore how competencies show up in youth programming

• develop tools and practices for assessing and supporting student growth

• strengthen alignment across staff and teams

• and learn alongside peer organizations navigating similar questions and challenges

In 2025-26, the Learning Collaborative included teams from: Rocking the Boat, Generation Citizen, YA-YA Network, and FamilyCook Productions. 

In December, 2025, Antonia Rudenstine, of ReDesign, shared what she's learning so far about using AI to design meaningful and student-centered activities. 

Workshop Materials: 

• Here are the slides from the session which include links to several AI tools and prompt instructions. You can use SSN's version of the Future9 Competency Framework to help design activities for skill development. 

• Workshop participants expressed concerns about how AI is used with young people and the impact on their learning. Antonia shared this emerging research on AI and learning.

Additional Resources:

• The SSN team participated in the Decoded Futures AI cohort in early 2025. It gave us a chance to play around with AI with support. They shared this tool for creating AI policies (for adults).

• The Fund for the City of NY offers free training for those who need a fuller introduction, as well as a video library of ways to use AI.

• Got a resource to share? Email us!

We first introduced reDesign’s Future9 framework at our October 2024 convening, where we explored what future readiness really looks like for young people. The turnout and energy confirmed what we suspected: this work resonates.

With input from youth and practitioners, a small subcommittee helped adapt this research-based, student-informed framework into something that reflects the values, realities, and strengths of our nonprofit community. The result? A set of specific, observable, and strength-based competencies that connect to the broader work of our Network.

We’re not offering the Future9 as the answer — but as a shared starting point for reflection, alignment, and deeper collaboration across organizations.

Interested in presenting the Future9 to your staff and/or students? Check out our turnkey presentation.