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  2. Youth Development

Youth Development

Understanding curiosity and motivation, reimagining middle school, preventing youth violence and more — at UVA EHD, we are working to understand every facet of how young people become healthy, thriving adults.

25%
of students say a teacher or school counselor has had an indelible impact on their success

Positive Youth Development

With a strengths-based focus, our research and services engage directly with youth and explore the possibilities of a future that is built around youth and their developmental needs.
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Youth-Nex

At Youth-Nex: the UVA Center to Promote Effective Youth Development, we're applying the science of positive youth development to address fundamental challenges facing societies around the world. 

Visit Youth-Nex
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Youth Violence Project

With leading experts in youth violence prevention and school safety, we offer research, training and consultation.

Learn More
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Remaking Middle School

What would it look like if we completely reimagined middle school – this time, around the developmental science of what adolescents actually need?

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Related News: Youth Development

All Youth Development News

Research: Youth Development

All Youth Development Research

Explore the latest EHD research and resources related to youth development.

Belonging contributes to compassion: A longitudinal study of middle school students' prosocial competencies

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Cultural Humility in Action: Contextualizing Coping Power for Middle Schools in Guadalajara, Mexico

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Leveraging Machine Learning to Understand the Link Between School Climate and Youth Substance Use: a Focus on Cannabis and Alcohol Use

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The protective power of connection: a proposed conceptual model of social supports in the context of youth adversity, disrupted attachment, and trauma symptoms

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Exploring Profiles of Risk and Protective Factors Among Youth Mentees: For Whom Does Mentoring Work?

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YN YPAR Youth and YPAR Adult: Survey Item Validation

This resource for both adults and youth examines the clarity, relevance and coverage of items on survey measures.

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YN YPAR Youth: Interview Prompts

This resource supports youth researchers in obtaining more in-depth responses from their peers during interviews.

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YN YPAR Youth: Types of Validity

This resource for youth explains the different types of validity used to evaluate surveys.

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YN YPAR Youth and YPAR Adult: Sample Project Plan

This resource, for both adults and youth, provides an overview of the research process and a detailed breakdown of a collaborative working session.

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Research Labs: Youth Development

  • READY
  • Research Lab

Relationships, Ecologies and Activities for Developing Youth Lab

We are interested in how settings and interactions can be optimized to best meet adolescents’ developmental needs. In particular, we are focused on the role that relationships (with peers, mentors, non-familial adults) and activities play in adolescent development.

  • YVP
  • Research Lab

Youth Violence Project

The Virginia Youth Violence Project is a research group composed of faculty and graduate students in the UVA School of Education and Human Development. We conduct research on youth violence prevention and school safety and provide training and consultation on topics such as threat assessment, bullying prevention, and forensic psychology. Through our work, we have developed strong evidence in support of school threat assessment as a school violence prevention strategy and alternative to zero tolerance discipline.

  • PIT CREW
  • Research Lab

Preventive Interventions Team: Collaborative Research on Engagement and Wellbeing

We are a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research lab with a focus on prevention interventions that optimize implementation of evidence-based practices to improve behavior, classroom, and school experiences for youth and school personnel, and/or reduce risk for behavioral and mental health problems. 

  • MOTIVATE
  • Research Lab

Motivate Lab

The Motivate Lab is driven to improve people’s lives through rigorous motivation research and to understand the mindsets that promote learning, growth, and well-being.

  • RMS
  • Research Lab

Remaking Middle School

Remaking Middle School is a multi-phase initiative, elevating the innovation that is present in middle schools across the country and soliciting national input on how we ensure all students thrive in, and grow from, their experience in the middle grades. 
 

  • Research Lab

UVA Social Development Lab

The UVA Social Development Lab, directed by Sara Rimm-Kaufman, addresses pressing questions in education science from an interdisciplinary perspective. Learn more at our full website.

UVA Social Development Lab

  • WEB Lab
  • Research Lab

Womanism Empowering Black Women and Girls Counseling Lab

The mission of the Womanism Empowering Black Women and Girls in Counseling Research Lab is to advance knowledge on the experiences, strengths, and wellbeing of black women and girls through womanist frameworks and community-engaged scholarship focused on counseling and counselor education.

Related Academic Programs

Ready for the next step? Explore a selection of programs related to youth development.

Program listing results

    1. Communication Sciences and Disorders

      A full-time clinical degree program with a long, successful record of producing clinicians who are fully prepared for a rewarding career as a speech-language pathologist.

      Program Level

      • Graduate

      Program Type

      • Full Time

      Estimated Length

      • 5 semesters (Blue Path)
      • 7 semesters (Orange Path) 

      Location

      • In-Person
      More About This Program

    2. Counselor Education

      The M.Ed. in counselor education program prepares students to become licensed counselors in K-12 schools and clinical mental health agencies, and institutions. Graduates are leaders, advocates and collaborators in respective work settings and communities.

      Program Level

      • Graduate

      Program Type

      • Full Time

      Estimated Length

      2 years

      Location

      • In-Person
      More About This Program

    3. Educational Psychology - Applied Developmental Science

      Transform the lives of children and youth at the intersection of science and human development. Designed specifically for students interested in learning how developmental processes influence learning, performance and behavior.

      Program Level

      • Graduate

      Program Type

      • Full Time
      • Part Time

      Estimated Length

      • Full Time: 1 year
      • Part Time: 1.5-3 years

      Location

      • In-Person
      More About This Program

      Students in the Ph.D. in education-educational psychology-applied developmental science program \work closely with faculty on cutting-edge research, preparing them for careers in academic, policy, and research organizations.

      Program Level

      • Graduate

      Program Type

      • Full Time

      Estimated Length

      4 years

      Location

      • In-Person
      More About This Program

    4. Research, Statistics & Evaluation

      Graduates of the Ph.D. in education with a concentration in research, statistics and evaluation program are educational scholars who are prepared for careers in university settings or research organizations.

      Program Level

      • Graduate

      Program Type

      • Full Time

      Estimated Length

      4 years

      Location

      • In-Person
      More About This Program

    5. School Psychology

      The program prepares students to serve as certified school psychologists, with core knowledge and skills in providing the comprehensive assessment, intervention, and consultative services necessary for healthy child and youth development.

      Program Level

      • Graduate

      Program Type

      • Full Time

      Estimated Length

      The typical length of study is 3 years, including a one-year internship.

      Location

      • In-Person
      More About This Program

    6. Youth & Social Innovation

      Interested in an exciting career working with or on behalf of youth? The Youth and Social Innovation major is designed for undergraduate students who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of youth.

      Program Level

      • Undergraduate

      Program Type

      • Full Time

      Estimated Length

      4 years (or 2 academic years after admission into the program)

      Location

      • In-Person
      More About This Program