Blog: Learning & Education
The Opportunities and Effects of Climate Action on Adolescents
April 28, 2025Adolescence is a period of significant brain and social development, when we are particularly sensitive to the world around us. This sensitivity can create challenges to young people’s mental health and well-being when they experience or are exposed to information and images about climate change. But these changes can also increase youth’s motivation to participate in climate action, which can mitigate these negative effects while providing an opportunity for them to fill key developmental needs.
The Impact of Civic Engagement on Exploration and Risk Taking
October 10, 2024In the third discussion of our 2024 symposium, science journalist Lydia Denworth talked with Natasha Duell, assistant professor of Psychology and Child Development at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, LaJuan Allen, director of Vote16USA, and Audrey Rothenberg, a senior at Culver City High School and volunteer at Vote16 Culver City about how civic engagement can support the need to explore and take positive risks during adolescence.
Fostering Belonging Through Developmental Relationships
March 28, 2024National Scientific Council on Adolescence member Joanna Williams, Senior Director of Research at Search Institute, talked about what it means to belong, why it matters in education, and how adults can help students feel a sense of belonging at school.
Press Releases
February 25, 2025: Announcing the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent’s 2024 Annual Report
January 17, 2023: New Guides Help Organizations Build Effective Youth Engagement Programs
August 16, 2021: New Report Examines Intersection of Anti-Black Racism on Youth Development
November 30, 2020: Center for the Developing Adolescent Announces New Advisory Board Members
October 1, 2020: Center for the Developing Adolescent Announces New Leadership
Stay in the Know
The Uncharted Odyssey: Navigating the Complex World of Adolescence
September 15, 2023Students Kobe Wood and Bless Jellene Patawaran explain what they learned about the science of adolescence during their two weeks at the 2023 UCLA CDA Adolescent Development Summer Boot Camp for high schoolers.
Supporting Youth as They Go Back to School
August 25, 2023Digital Content Contributor Allyson Nesmith talks with Nancy Deutsch, PhD, Director of Youth-Nex at the University of Virginia, and Joyce Pae, Principal at the Chicago Academy K-8 School, about how parents, teachers, and other caring adults can help students navigate going back to school.
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Developing Youth Engagement Programs to Help Young People Thrive
March 29, 2023In our new blog post, we recap our recent youth engagement webinar, where panelists shared tips for building youth engagement programs that help young people (and those who serve them) succeed.
Caregiving Students Need More Support
February 20, 2023In this blog post, developmental psychologist Emma Armstrong-Carter highlights a form of contributing that many adolescents provide for their families—caregiving—and offers research-informed suggestions for schools to support caregiving students.
Adolescence Across the Animal Kingdom
January 6, 2023We talked with NSCA member and UC Berkeley neuroscientist Linda Wilbrecht about how insights from the animal kingdom can shift our perspective on the importance of our own human adolescent years.
Friendships & School Diversity
September 23, 2022Students from the UCLA Summer Research Bootcamp share what they learned about the importance of friendships during adolescence and the added benefits of ethnic diversity within those friendships.
Teens Learn About Teen Learning
September 23, 2022Students from the 2022 UCLA Summer Research Boot Camp describe how learning about adolescent development taught them to look deeper into the issues around them and use data to find solutions.