Press release: New Guides Help Organizations Build Effective Youth Engagement Programs
UCLA center releases research-based tools for funders and youth-serving professionals
Downloadable PDF: Press release: New Guides Help Organizations Build Effective Youth Engagement Programs
New Guides Help Organizations Build Effective Youth Engagement Programs
LOS ANGELES, Calif., January 17, 2023—The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent (UCLA CDA) today released two new guides for building meaningful, effective youth engagement programs. UCLA CDA developed the guides with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation as a tool for funders and youth-serving organizations to invest in and create science-informed programs that involve youth in ways that benefit young people as well as the organizations they’re working with.
“When done well, youth engagement is good for organizations and helps young people develop skills they’ll need to thrive as contributing adults,” said Adriana Galván, PhD, Co-Executive Director of UCLA CDA. “We’re grateful for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s support, and excited that we can offer these resources to those working to improve the lives of youth.”
Each guide provides:
- An overview of how the science of adolescent development supports actively engaging young people
- Concrete examples of engaging youth in the evaluation process
- Tools to guide organizations through creating and evaluating their youth engagement plans
- Links to resources for further expanding youth-engagement efforts
The guides were written by Ahna Suleiman, DrPH, Coordinator of the Youth National Scientific Council on Adolescence (YNSCA), and YNSCA members Beatriz Lopes and Michael Nguyen. The guides are free and available on the UCLA CDA website at developingadolescent.org/topics/item/youth-engagement-in-research-and-evaluation.
For more information, contact Meghan Forder at meghanforder@ucla.edu.
About the Center for the Developing Adolescent
The Center for the Developing Adolescent works to equitably improve adolescent health, education, and well-being. We do this by building bridges between research, programs, and policy.
About the Youth National Scientific Council on Adolescence
The YNSCA is a group of young people dedicated to promoting the positive development and wellbeing of youth. The YNSCA works with the National Scientific Council on Adolescence and UCLA CDA staff to effectively inform, translate, and disseminate the science of adolescence and provide guidance on engaging young people in our work.
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