NSCA member Anthony Burrow joins Smerconish on CNN to discuss his research on the link between purpose and mental health. In this interview, Burrow discusses The Contribution project, a study and social experiment that provided young people with $400 to make a difference that mattered to them. The young people selected for this project who made contributions reported greater feelings of purpose and reported increased feelings of happiness, meaning, and belonging.
In a new episode of the podcast CaseyCast, Annie E. Casey Foundation President and CEO Lisa Lawson and CDA’s co-executive director Adriana Galván discuss how to better support young people as they navigate the path to adulthood. This podcast episode is adapted from a fireside chat that took place at the 2026 Adolescent Brain Development Summit.
The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent was cited in a New America article highlighting organizations and research that have supported the National Commission on Learning Ecosystems’ understanding of adolescent development and how to build ecosystems that support young people. The National Commission on Learning Ecosystems is a two-year initiative, announced in February 2026, that focuses on making stronger connections between U.S. public schools and out-of-school programs.
