YoPro




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About YoPro
Our mission is to connect and develop professionals in Public Media by empowering and supporting their individual leadership paths.


Our Story

When YoPro began, it was called YoProWo and was originally held once a year as a pre-conference workshop event before the PBS Annual Meeting. The first YoPro-like event was held in 2014 at the PBS Annual Meeting in San Francisco. After the workshop ended, many of the attendees were feeling empowered, but weren’t sure how to sustain that momentum. That’s when a few of us stepped up and said, “We have thoughts, a little bit of spare time, and the resources to make something happen.”

Most recently, YoPro has expanded its presence within Public Media. We’ve thrown a lot of spaghetti at walls, hoping for programs, topics or ideas to stick. Some have… a lot haven’t. But for a grassroots group like us, that’s just as it should be.


Our Core Values

Connect
YoPro connects Public media professionals to their peers and leadership through networking events.

Develop
YoPro provides resources that develop a broader understanding of all aspects of public media.

Support
YoPro supports professionals in public media by providing guidance throughout their leadership journey.

Empower
YoPro empowers professionals to embrace their potential and vault to better the future of public media.


Our Impact

We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to hold events at the PBS Annual Meeting in Austin in 2015, Chicago in 2016, and San Diego in 2017. We’ve been able to host discussions, panels and networking opportunities at conferences like PBS TechCon in 2017; on-site visits at PBS Newshour; present to the PBS Board’s Diversity Council, hold systemwide virtual events, and much more. YoPro aims to produce something impactful and meaningful to attendees who don't normally get a voice or the opportunity to attend conferences.

Moving forward, we will be looking to reframe conversations around how young professionals are perceived and incubated in the system.

For more information, contact us at yopro@pbs.org


Frequently Asked Questions about YoPro


1) What does being a YoPro mean?

YoPro is an initiative within PBS that aims to connect, develop, support, and empower professionals throughout their Public Media journey. As a YoPro you may be new to Public Media, or entering a new phase of your career within Public Media. YoPro believes in developing leaders at all levels and provides opportunities, resources, and networking for professionals at each stage of their career. Being a YoPro, means being present in your career and taking opportunities to grow your expertise, knowledge, and skills to become the leader you’ve always wanted to be.

2) What is YoPro’s impact on the public media system?

YoPro’s impact to the system is threefold:

Retention: In our assessment, YoPro helps with the retention of younger staff, alleviating turnover and the cost of finding replacements. The professional development YoPro provides for younger staff can help make them feel invested in by their station and fosters job longevity.
Working Knowledge: It’s clear, the impact of YoPro is growing. YoPro aims to encourage passionate future leaders, who know what public media means to their community. YoPros innately understand multi-platform content and the need for innovation to keep public media relevant.
Cultivating Network of Future Leaders: Continuing to incubate the public media leaders of tomorrow will ensure relevance now and in the future.

3) What can I gain from being involved with YoPro?

As a part of YoPro, you will have access to online professional development resources to help you understand career basics related to your role, develop your own management skills and style, develop a plan for advancement, as well as to navigate the Public Media system. In addition to these resources, you will have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders, content experts, and innovators within the Public Media. It is through being involved with YoPro utilizing these resources, creating a YoPro network, and taking part in in-person YoPro opportunities, that you will gain the confidence, knowledge, and expertise to become a leader in your role, at your station, and in the system.

4) How can I get more involved in YoPro?

Visit our website
Join our Facebook group
Subscribe to our newsletter
Attend an upcoming event