On November 2–4, 2022, AEI hosted the first in a series of major events called FREE Forums. The first FREE Forum took place at the Westin in Birmingham, Alabama, drawing on the city’s rich history as a center of the Civil Rights Movement and an example of a new era of dynamism in America’s mid-sized cities. FREE Forums will build a movement of leaders who can reinvigorate the critical institutions that help develop agency in young people: family, religion, education, and entrepreneurship. FREE Forum Birmingham brought together local and national leaders representing the policy, nonprofit, and business community, offering an introduction to the high-level challenges in each area of the FREE framework areas and providing participants opportunities to identify promising strategies and interventions in their home region. If you have any questions about the FREE Initiatives or future FREE Forums, do not hesitate to contact us at Summit@AEI.org.