For the past 10 years The Journey, which has been fully funded by Lilly Endowment, has been part of the AYS Professional Development Center. Effective January 1, 2019, The Journey Fellowship programs will be a part of the professional development services of the Indiana Youth Services Association (IYSA). Lilly Endowment has approved a grant to IYSA to support The Journey for another two years

The Journey network has over 1,000 Youth Workers consisting of students, new professionals and executives. The Journey is a collection of programs committed to equipping people to lead with their hearts by: 1) Grounding people in who they are – the essence of their heart, their vocation and avocation; 2) Connecting people to each other – tapping into the power of community; and 3) Inspiring people’s beliefs about what they can accomplish on behalf of young people. The Journey has helped encourage more professionals to join and stay in the youth development field.

IYSA is a statewide intermediary that has 30 member agencies and 25 service providers serving youth in more than 70 counties in Indiana. IYSA and The Journey have been national leaders in promoting the Child and Youth Care Certification. IYSA identified that the way to improve outcomes for youth lies in the quality of the youth workers. IYSA and The Journey are excited about this new partnership and the possibilities for strengthening the field of youth development and the professionals in it.