Youth-Nex

Research Center

What We Do

Youth-Nex is a trans-disciplinary center with a translational approach to scholarship and innovation that is central to its work.

Our Focus

We focus on three core domains: a) Out-of-School Time; b) Educational Systems: Middle School; and c) Community Engagement: Civic and Political.

Our Aim

We aim to expand and apply the science of Positive Youth Development to enhance the strengths of youth and to prevent developmental risk such as violence; physical and mental health issues; substance abuse and school failure

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What's New

Check out the latest news and resources this month from Youth-Nex. Click arrows below to scroll to the left or right for more.

Teacher sits with four students and points to something.

Strategies for Teaching Goal Setting with Middle Schoolers

This blog has downloadable resources for educators to learn more about goal setting phases, the tasks within, and how to support goal setting skills with middle schoolers.

Teen Reflections about Research on Social Media & Mental Health

Teen blogger Reanna pens a Youth Digital Futures series blog from a discussion with Drs. Candice Odgers and Jonathan Haidt at our fall conference.

Speaker Bureau 2025

Start planning your 2025-26 talks & workshops with our Youth-Nex scholars in our 2025 Speaker Bureau.

Teen sitting, using his phone. Thought bubbles surround his head.

Youth-Nex 9th National Conference

Learn more and download the resources from our ninth national conference on understanding the role of digital technology in positive youth development.

Learn More

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Research Studies Recruiting

Learn more about the active research studies at Youth-Nex that you could participate in!

Learn More

Youth-Nex Initiatives and Projects

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Know a youth interested in engaging with Youth-Nex?

Initiatives

Research Projects

Connect with Us

Youth-Nex Newsletter

View recent archives of the Youth-Nex newsletter & sign up to receive monthly updates.

More Info

Students Engaging at Youth-Nex

If you are a college student interested in working with Youth-Nex, complete this interest form to join our database that our scholars check when expanding their research teams.

Youth-Nex Research

More Youth-Nex Research

Journal Article

Training Needs for School Staff Supporting Students Returning to School After a Psychiatric Hospitalization

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Health and Wellness

Faculty Associated

Department or Center Associated

Youth-Nex

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PIT CREW Lab

Resource

Portrait Resource for Healthcare Providers

This resource provides tips and takeaways for healthcare providers using the Portrait of a Thriving Youth framework of developmental domains.

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Child and Adolescent Development

Department or Center Associated

Youth-Nex

Journal Article

An Empty Scoping Review of Emergency Department to School Transition for Youth With Mental Health Concerns

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Faculty Associated

Lora Henderson Smith

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Youth-Nex

Resource

YN YPAR Youth: Decision Tree

This charting your course resource for youth provides a decision tree with links to resources as teens decision their next steps.

YN YPAR Youth: Problem Identification

This charting-your-course resource for youth describes steps to identify the problems that matter most to youth.

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Child and Adolescent Development

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Youth-Nex

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Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

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YN YPAR Youth: Problem Clarification

This charting-your-course resource for youth describes strategies to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the problem youth identify.

Department or Center Associated

Youth-Nex

Lab or Initiative Associated

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

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YN YPAR Youth: Problem Statement

This charting-your-course resource for youth describes how to create a focused statement that describes a challenge or issue you intend to address.

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Child and Adolescent Development

Department or Center Associated

Youth-Nex

Lab or Initiative Associated

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

Resource

YN YPAR Youth: Data Review

This charting-your-course resource for youth describes how to review existing information and data.

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Child and Adolescent Development

Department or Center Associated

Youth-Nex

Lab or Initiative Associated

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

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YN YPAR Youth: Action Plan

This charting-your-course resource for youth describes how to outline the steps necessary to address the problem.

Topic

Child and Adolescent Development

Department or Center Associated

Youth-Nex

Lab or Initiative Associated

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

Youth-Nex News

All Youth-Nex News

Photo illustration of a teen boy with brown curly hear wearing a hoodie and looking at a cell phone. Around his head are speech bubbles and phones with scribbles and drawings inside, illustrating noise and confusion.

Thought Leadership

Q&A: Helping Youth Thrive in a Digital World

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.

Related Labs

Explore Research

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.

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.

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.

CTL
Research Lab

Contemplative Teaching and Learning Lab

The Contemplative Teaching and Learning Lab applies the contemplative sciences to informing our understanding of life-span development and education.

Youth-Nex

What We Do

Our Focus

Our Aim

What's New

Strategies for Teaching Goal Setting with Middle Schoolers

Teen Reflections about Research on Social Media & Mental Health

Speaker Bureau 2025

Youth-Nex 9th National Conference

Research Studies Recruiting

Youth-Nex Initiatives and Projects

Initiatives

Research Projects

Connect with Us

Youth-Nex Newsletter

Students Engaging at Youth-Nex

Youth-Nex Research

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Faculty Associated

Department or Center Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

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Department or Center Associated

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Faculty Associated

Department or Center Associated

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Department or Center Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

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Department or Center Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

Department or Center Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

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Department or Center Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

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Department or Center Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

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Department or Center Associated

Lab or Initiative Associated

Youth-Nex News

Related Labs

Remaking Middle School

Preventive Interventions Team: Collaborative Research on Engagement and Wellbeing

Relationships, Ecologies and Activities for Developing Youth Lab

Contemplative Teaching and Learning Lab

Youth-Nex Events

Contact Us

Email

Mailing Address