We develop, evaluate, disseminate, and apply evidence-based best practices in Healthy Youth Development.
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 1996, we’re part of a prestigious network of 26 academic research centers that link science to practice through community engagement. Our UMN home is in the Medical School’s Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health.
Through our published research, we expand the field’s evidence and understanding of diverse young people’s lived experience. Our focus areas include:
- High-priority topics like sexual health, health equity, and restorative justice
- Marginalized populations like LGBTQ and homeless youth, and children with incarcerated parents
- Settings like schools, clinics, and prisons/jails
We share these innovations and promote best practices and policies by partnering with youth-serving adults in government agencies, nonprofits, schools, and community organizations.
Our community partnered work takes the form of:
- Program planning and evaluation
- Workforce development through subject-matter trainings
- Technical assistance and advising
- Building community support and system improvement
Our adolescent health workforce development offerings reach nearly 2,000 public health professionals, health care practitioners and students, community agency staff, and individuals each year.
This website is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number (U48DP006414; R. Shlafer, PI) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevention Research Center Program. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.