Awards & Data Reveal

Honoring the voices, programs, and partners that helped Connecticut listen, and the insight that will
shape what comes next.

The October 2026 FYI Event

The first half is the Data Reveal a public presentation of aggregated findings gathered from young people across Connecticut throughout the year. Through SEE360™ Snapshots and Youth Community Conversations, FYI has been listening to what young people are experiencing as they navigate transition. October is when that insight becomes visible to the systems, leaders, and communities responsible for responding to it.

The second half is the Youth Insight Awards Banquet -- a celebration that honors the young people, organizations, and institutions whose contributions made the FYI insight process possible. These are not competitive awards. There are no applications and no pitches. Recipients are recognized for their contribution to a collective understanding of youth experience in Connecticut.

Together these two moments do something important. The data tells the story. The awards honor the people who helped tell it.

Graduates celebrate by tossing caps into the air at sunset.
Three friends jumping joyfully outdoors in winter.

The Data Reveal

The Data Reveal is not a typical report release or conference presentation. It is an immersive, museum-style experience that brings youth data to life through story, visuals, and direct youth voice. Attendees move through the findings as a lived experience, not a slide deck.

The October 2026 Data Reveal will present aggregated findings from over 1,000 young people across Connecticut gathered through SEE360™ Snapshots and Youth Community Conversations. Findings will be organized around the themes and patterns that emerged most consistently, with youth contributors acknowledged for their role in shaping what we now understand.

This event is designed for the adults and institutions responsible for the systems that serve young people. If you fund youth programs, design youth policy, lead a school or workforce organization, or make decisions that affect young people in Connecticut, this event is for you.

Who Should Attend -- List

  • School and district leaders
  • Workforce development organizations
  • Funders and philanthropic partners
  • State and municipal agencies
  • Community organizations and nonprofits
  • Elected officials and policymakers
  • University and research partners
  • Anyone who serves, funds, or designs systems for young people

The Data Reveal is free and open to the public. Space is limited. Registration information will be available this summer.

What Finalists Receive

Finalists receive everything above, plus elevated support and recognition.

A Full SEE360 Insight Report

Finalists receive deeper data that includes a more detailed analysis of their youth group, trends by domain, and actionable recommendations.

This is a valuable tool programs often pay for.

Professional Spotlight Features

  • Finalists receive:
  • a program spotlight story
  • professional photos or video
  • features across FYI channels
  • recognition at FutureCon

Your program gets the statewide visibility it deserves.

Inclusion at FutureCon

Finalists are highlighted during Connecticut’s statewide youth conference giving them visibility in front of:

  • schools
  • youth programs
  • funders
  • partners
  • young people
  • community leaders

The Youth Insight Awards Banquet: Honoring Contribution. Not Competition.

Students walking on a tree-lined campus pathway on a sunny day.

  • Youth Voice Champion Award

    Recognizes young people who meaningfully elevated youth voice by participating in Community Conversations, sharing insight and lived perspective that clarified key themes, and engaging authentically in the FYI process. This award honors contribution to collective understanding -- not performance, polish, or outcomes.

  • Community-based organization

    Recognizes an organization that hosted or supported a Community Conversation, created safe space for youth voice, and helped elevate insight without controlling or filtering it. This award honors stewardship of youth voice and community trust -- not scale, budget, or outputs.

  • Institutional or system partner

    Recognizes a workforce board, school district, agency, funder, or system that opened access to young people, allowed listening at scale, and supported the insight gathering process. This award honors institutional willingness to listen and learn.

  • A theme, represented by youth contributors

    Recognizes the most consistent and urgent insight that emerged across Community Conversations, SEE360™ data, and multiple youth voices and settings throughout the year. This award is presented through a live segment combining youth quotes, patterns, and data -- with acknowledgment of the young people who voiced the theme. The insight itself is the recipient.

  • Youth advisory cohort

    Recognizes a group of young people who chose to go deeper -- participating in a Youth Insight Deep Dive after the Community Conversation phase to help adults better understand a recurring theme. This award honors youth labor, insight stewardship, and the sustained engagement required to pressure-test what we think we know.

How to Get Involved

FYI is not an application process. It is an invitation.

Lane 1 -- For Community Organizations

If your organization works with young people ages 14 to 25 in Connecticut, you can be part of FYI by hosting or supporting a Youth Community Conversation. This is a structured listening session where young people share what they are experiencing. FYI brings the facilitation and the framework. You provide the space and the young people. Participation is available at no cost and youth participants receive incentives for their time.

Organizations that participate in Community Conversations are eligible for recognition at the October Awards Banquet.

Lane 2 -- For Funders and System Partners

If you fund, design, or lead systems that affect young people in Connecticut, FYI wants you in the room in October. The Data Reveal is built for decision-makers who want to lead with evidence, not assumption. Sponsorship and partnership opportunities are available for organizations that want to support the initiative and be recognized alongside the work.

Lane 3 -- For Young People

If you are between 14 and 25 and based in Connecticut, your voice is what FYI is built around. You can participate in a Youth Community Conversation through an organization near you, complete an optional SEE360™ Snapshot, and potentially be recognized at the October event for your contribution to the statewide story.