What We Do
We work to make the science of adolescent development useful and accessible to policymakers, youth-serving professionals, parents, and young people themselves, and to advocate for equitable policies, programs, and practices based on that science.
The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent (CDA) empowers leading policymakers and youth advocates to create modern, effective policies by connecting them with the most up-to-date research and data.
In addition to working directly with community leaders and internationally recognized scientists, CDA’s team:
- Partners with the National Scientific Council on Adolescence and other experts in the field to deliver evidence-based recommendations to help adolescents succeed in the world.
- Engages in innovative research focused on adolescence, from social media’s impact to programs that help youth become thriving community members.
- Collaborates with the Youth National Scientific Council on Adolescence, ensuring adolescents are directly informing the work and solutions.
What We Do
We work with policymakers, youth-serving professionals, parents, and young people themselves, to advocate for equitable policies, programs, and practices based on that science.
We work with community leaders, policymakers, youth-serving professionals, parents, and young people themselves, to support equitable policies, programs, and practices based on the science of adolescent development. We talk with news organizations and reporters to increase the public understanding of adolescence as an important window of exploration and discovery.
Our activities include:
- Providing briefings for policymakers and youth-serving professionals
- Conducting presentations, workshops, and webinars
- Participating in panel discussions
- Publishing working papers and briefs
- Summarizing the latest research on adolescent development
- Talking with reporters and others in the media
- Producing a podcast–Adaptivity: The Science of Adolescence
