News & Stories

From AI to smart watches, tech in teens’ lives reaches far beyond social media. A UVA expert weighs in on how adults can work with youth to engage with digital technologies while protecting their mental health.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers show several social and emotional competencies decrease during the middle school years and rebound in high school.

Lora Henderson Smith and her longtime partner, Dustina Gill, are expanding their work with Indigenous youth with a new Spencer Foundation grant.

National nonprofit organization First Tee turns to researchers at Youth-Nex to evaluate the program’s model and youth development outcomes during out-of-school time.

A UVA School of Education and Human Development researcher discusses the emotions of adolescence, the subject of the hit movie, “Inside Out 2.”

A UVA expert discusses the U.S. Surgeon General’s concerns and offers advice on social media use.

Curiosity researcher Jamie Jirout shares her thoughts on why stretches of safe, unstructured time can benefit children.

Though children in Haiti face many challenges, anthropologist Diane Hoffman believes predominately western efforts to support them should center more elements of Haitian culture.

Youth-Nex and its researchers and staff were recognized for their leadership and scientific excellence in the field of positive youth development and adolescence research.

A first-generation student and child of immigrants, Luna Alazar believes deeply in the impact of quality education. She graduates with her bachelor’s degree in youth and social innovation and will begin her master’s in higher education at UVA EHD this summer.