Facilitator, Detroit Youth Artists Congress

Contract Opportunity: Youth Artists Congress Facilitator

Opportunity:

Detroit Youth Artist Congress Facilitator

Organization:

Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA)

Engagement Type:

Contract / Consultant engagement — open to individuals or organizations

Scope:

Plan and facilitate two in-person convenings of the 40-member Youth Artist Congress, plus facilitation support before, between, and after convenings

Contract Term:

September 15 – May 15 (8 months)

Compensation:

$15,000 – $20,000, commensurate with experience

DEYA is a collective impact initiative that convenes and catalyzes cross-sector stakeholders — youth artists, arts providers, schools, funders, and civic partners — to build a more equitable, connected, and abundant youth arts ecosystem across Detroit. As part of this work, DEYA is launching the Detroit Youth Artists Congress (DYAC): a new network bringing together teen leaders from youth arts programs across the city to set the agenda for the future of arts education in Detroit and to create collective action in support of youth citywide. Connect Detroit is the program partner of DYAC, which is supported through two years of seed funding from The Skillman Foundation.

The Opportunity

DEYA and Connect Detroit are seeking a contracted facilitator — an individual consultant or an organization — to plan and lead the Detroit Youth Artist Congress through its inaugural year. The Congress will bring together 40 youth delegates, ages 14 to 19, who currently hold youth leadership roles within Detroit youth arts organizations and programs -- including youth advisory councils YACs) -- alongside a smaller number of at-large members recognized for citywide youth arts leadership. Because DYAC is distinct from YACs many organizations already run, it is essential that the Facilitator bring skills and training specific to youth engagement facilitation, not general meeting facilitation.

The Congress's central deliverable is a set of youth-authored recommendations on priorities for supporting youth arts in Detroit, to be presented to the Mayor, policymakers, and funders. This work is closely timed with DEYA's Detroit Partnership for Arts Education (DPAE) citywide arts education action plan, and the DYAC is intended to ensure that plan is grounded in the voices of the young people it is meant to serve.

Scope of Work

Before — Establish an 8-Month Strategic Plan

Work with DEYA leadership to establish a recruitment plan, vetting and selection of the Youth Artists Congress representatives. Construct a work plan and timeline for the in-person convenings and the work to be completed by youth between the convenings.

Convening One — Orientation & Issue Identification

Plan and facilitate the first in-person convening, focused on helping the 40 delegates get to know one another and building a working group identity across organizations. The Facilitator will guide delegates through identifying the issues and questions that need to be explored to eventually develop the Congress's recommendations.

Between Convenings — Steering Committee & Online Platform

Support delegates in continuing their work remotely through DEYA's online Networks platform and work directly with a small youth steering committee — elected or selected from within the Congress — to synthesize delegate input into a draft set of possible recommendations ahead of the second convening.

Convening Two — Decision Making

Plan and facilitate the second in-person convening, in which the full Congress decides which recommendations to advance.

After — Ratification

The Facilitator will then support the youth steering committee in producing a final draft and facilitate a Congress-wide vote to approve the final recommendations.

 

Facilitator Responsibilities Throughout

●    Recruit, vet and select the Youth Artists Congress delegates.

●    Design and lead the full facilitation plan for both in-person convenings, including agendas, activities, and youth-driven decision-making processes.

●    Recruit input from and build trust with 40 teen delegates from a wide range of organizational and cultural backgrounds across Detroit.

●    Work hands-on with the youth steering committee between convenings to draft, refine, and finalize recommendation language.

●    Coordinate with DEYA staff and partners — including Connect Detroit, Youth Driven Spaces (Neutral Zone) and Detroit Digital Media — on logistics, the online Networks platform, and communications.

●    Ensure the final recommendations reflect authentic youth voice and are ready for presentation to the Mayor, policymakers, and funders.

●    Document convening outcomes, participation, and process for DEYA's reporting and continuous improvement.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications

●    Demonstrated training and skill specifically in youth engagement facilitation is a stated requirement of the role, distinct from general facilitation experience.

●    Experience facilitating youth-driven and restorative processes in which young people, not adults, set the agenda and own the outcome.

●    Experience guiding a group toward consensus-based, ratified decisions — e.g., civic engagement, youth advisory councils, participatory budgeting, or similar deliberative processes.

●    Comfort working with a diverse group of 40+ teen delegates ages 14-19 from different organizational, cultural, and neighborhood backgrounds across Detroit.

●    Ability to translate group input into clear, actionable written recommendations suitable for a policy and funder audience.

●    Experience with or comfort using online collaboration platforms to sustain engagement between in-person convenings.

●    Strong project management skills across a multi-month engagement with two major convening milestones.

●    Familiarity with Detroit's youth arts ecosystem and community organizations strongly preferred.

●    Experience responding to and supporting youth through crisis or conflict situations.

Deliverables

●    A facilitation plan and for each of the two in-person convenings.

●    Lead Facilitation of the two in-person convenings

●    Ongoing facilitation support for the youth steering committee and online platform engagement between convenings.

●    A final, Congress-approved set of recommendations on priorities for supporting youth arts in Detroit, ready for presentation to the Mayor, policymakers, and funders.

Requirements

●    Reliable transportation; ability to travel to convening sites in Detroit.

To Apply

Please construct a brief statement of interest and proposal describing relevant experience, facilitation approach, proposed fee and two relevant recommendations from similar project experiences. Submit all documents in the form of .pdf to [email protected] by 5pm, Friday August 28, 2026.

DEYA Equal Opportunity & Nondiscrimination Statement

Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA) is an equal opportunity initiative committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment. Neither Connect Detroit nor DEYA discriminates in employment, programs, services, activities, or opportunities based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

DEYA and Connect Detroit are committed to ensuring equitable access and meaningful opportunities for all individuals to participate, contribute, and thrive in the arts.