Outcomes & Data
Measuring what changes for youth.
YEI tracks the skills, confidence, income-building experiences, business outcomes, participant feedback, and external evidence that show how young people grow through entrepreneurship, STE(A)M, creative economy, vending, travel, and real-world learning.
Why We Measure
Impact is more than attendance.
YEI measures whether young people are gaining the skills, confidence, exposure, income-building experience, and leadership practice they need to imagine and build new futures.
Our data looks at business creation, youth earnings, customer service, collaboration, soft skills, career exposure, voice and choice, program quality, and student feedback.
We use outcomes and feedback to improve programs, tell the story of youth progress, and show funders, sponsors, families, and partners what their support makes possible.
2026 School-Year Data
Building a youth-led economy.
Recent completed YEI program data shows youth turning creativity into income, confidence, customer service, collaboration, and real-world skills.
“I thought nobody would buy — now I see I was wrong.”
— Georgia, YEI participantNew youth businesses launched through recent completed YEI programming.
Generated by students through youth-led business and market experiences.
Had their first customer service experience through YEI programming.
Collaborated with peers and solved problems through hands-on activities.
Demonstrated gains in soft skills through recent completed programming.
Participant Feedback
Youth report growth, voice, choice, and new opportunities.
Student feedback helps YEI understand how young people experience the program, what they gain, and where the program is helping them explore new pathways.
Report exploring or expanding interest at YEI.
Report greater understanding of career paths and opportunities.
Report having voice and choice at YEI.
Report trying new things at YEI.
External Quality Assessment
YEI earned top scores for program quality.
In the 2026 Youth Program Quality Assessment, YEI received a 5.00 out of 5.00 across the major program quality domains observed.
External assessment score for emotional safety, healthy environment, emergency preparedness, and accommodating environment.
External assessment score for warm welcome, session flow, active engagement, skill-building support, and encouragement.
External assessment score for belonging, collaboration, leadership, and adult partnerships.
External assessment score for planning, choice, reflection, and structured feedback opportunities.
Youth PQA Performance Report
Instructional Total Score: 5.00 / 5.00
The external Youth PQA assessment recognized strong instructional quality across supportive environment, interaction, and engagement. These areas reflect the quality of the learning experience between staff and youth participants.
Cumulative Youth Enterprise Impact
YEI’s long-term work continues to build youth business pathways.
Youth have developed, pitched, launched, or tested business ideas through YEI experiences.
Youth have earned startup awards, pitch awards, scholarships, and business support.
Youth generated business profits during launch phases, markets, and youth enterprise experiences.
YEI youth-led social enterprises actively operate in DC and create real-world business experience.
Outcome Areas
We track growth across the full youth experience.
Confidence & Self-Belief
Students build confidence in their ability to create, speak, sell, lead, solve problems, and try new things.
Entrepreneurship Skills
Youth practice business planning, branding, pricing, customer service, pitching, marketing, and launching.
Financial Practice
Students learn revenue, cost, profit, budgeting, startup needs, pricing decisions, and real earning experiences.
Technical & Maker Skills
Youth gain exposure to tools like laser cutting, 3D printing, design software, cosmetics chemistry, and production.
Creative Economy Skills
Students create products, apparel, graphics, beauty items, candles, media, brands, and youth-made work.
Career & Network Access
Youth meet professionals, visit new places, hear career stories, travel, and build social capital.
What We Track
Our data follows both numbers and stories.
YEI combines quantitative data, student feedback, staff observations, business outputs, pitch rubrics, attendance records, market participation, and youth stories to understand program quality and student growth.
Participation
Enrollment, attendance, completion, retention, program hours, and event participation.
Business Outputs
Businesses launched, products created, pitches completed, pop-ups attended, and vendor revenue.
Skill Growth
Pre/post survey changes, confidence ratings, business knowledge, STE(A)M exposure, and career interest.
Youth Feedback
Student reflections, program satisfaction, favorite activities, mentor feedback, and improvement areas.
Measurement Tools
How we collect outcomes.
YEI uses multiple tools to capture student progress and program impact. This helps us understand what is working, what students value, and where programming can improve.
Measure changes in confidence, business understanding, financial skills, STE(A)M interest, and career awareness.
Assess student progress in idea development, pricing, customer understanding, presentation, and business readiness.
Track youth vending opportunities, product sales, revenue, customer interaction, and market participation.
Monitor participation, retention, program completion, and engagement across sites and cohorts.
Document youth pathways, leadership growth, business journeys, peer mentorship, and long-term outcomes.
Data helps us improve the work. Stories help us remember why the work matters.
Data to Action
We use outcomes to improve, not just report.
Outcomes and feedback help YEI strengthen curriculum, adjust program schedules, improve staffing, identify student needs, increase market opportunities, support youth businesses, and communicate impact to funders and partners.
The goal is not only to count activities. The goal is to understand whether youth are gaining access, skills, confidence, income-building practice, and pathways to opportunity.
Support Measurable Impact
Help youth turn data into futures.
Your support helps YEI provide the tools, mentors, markets, paid learning, travel, and creative production experiences that lead to measurable youth outcomes.