This episode features a conversation with three of the principal developers of the recently released Portrait of a Thriving Youth. Priscilla Little, Winsome Waite, and Shereen El Mallah were part of a design team formed by Youth-Nex: The University of Virginia Center for Effective Youth Development and the producer of the Lessons in Adolescence podcast, to craft a document akin to the growing number of Portraits of a Graduate being used in school systems around the country. The Portrait of a Thriving Youth extends this model beyond just the educational realm to encompass a range of assets and ..read more

This episode features a conversation with Jessica Greenawalt, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Arthur Project, a New York City-based nonprofit mentoring program focused on students in middle school. The Arthur Project taps into the professional pipeline of social workers to provide middle schoolers with professional, not volunteer, mentors.  In part one of their conversation, Jessica and Jason talk about how The Arthur Project got started, why it chose to focus on middle school-aged youth, the types of communities and schools the organization works in, the background of the studen ..read more

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Kathryn Mills, associate professor at the University of Oregon and Director of the Developing Brain in Context Lab. Kate and her colleagues examine how social environments influence the development of social cognition during the transition into adolescence using a blend of methods, including behavioral observation and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.  In part one of their conversation, Kate and Jason talk about the Developing Brain in Context Lab at the University of Oregon, what it does, the people who work there, and its evolving res ..read more

This episode features a conversation with Jason Sacks, President of Positive Coaching Alliance. For more than 25 years, PCA has worked to instill research and best practice in positive youth development into youth sports. There are more than 30 million young people participating in youth sports in the United States, although there are significant differences in access across communities, which is why a big part of PCA’s work is to advocate for greater equity in youth sports. PCA also offers training and resources to coaches, officials, parents, and youth to overcome the significant gaps in kno ..read more

This episode features a conversation with Susan Rivers, Executive Director and Chief Scientist at iThrive Games. Through programs and partnerships, iThrive uses gaming and game design to promote social and emotional learning and positive youth development. In part one of their conversation, Susan and Jason talk about the founding of iThrive games, the aspects of gaming and game design that directly impact the learning and development of young people, the importance and utility of play in adolescent development, and how schools, especially middle schools, don’t make enough time and space for i ..read more

This episode features a conversation with Jean Eddy, CEO and President of American Student Assistance®. ASA is a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures through equitable access to career readiness information and experiences. ASA helps middle and high school students to know themselves—their strengths and their interests—and understand their education and career options so that they can make informed decisions. The organization fulfills its mission – in schools and beyond the classroom—by providing free digital experiences directly to million ..read more

This episode features a conversation with Stephanie Malia Krauss, author of the youth development-focused books Making It and her most recent release Whole Child, Whole Life. Stephanie has broad experience as an educator, school leader, youth worker, researcher, writer, and advocate. Having had a challenging educational experience herself as a young person, including dropping out of school after the eighth grade, Stephanie works to help adults who educate, develop and care for adolescents to better understand the array of factors that drive their growth and behavior so that adults can best pre ..read more

The Season 4 opener features a conversation with Dr. Alaina Johnson, a clinical psychologist and a mother of three creatively-driven boys. Alaina is the author of the book Parenting Talent: The Grown-Up’s Guide to Understanding and Supporting Creatively-Driven Teens and Tweens and she is the head of a practice by the same name specializing in coaching others and speaking and advising on the topic. The combination of Alaina’s professional background in psychology and personal experience with her three, creatively-driven boys, has enabled her to connect the dots between the science of adolescent ..read more

The Season 4 opener features a conversation with Dr. Alaina Johnson, a clinical psychologist and a mother of three creatively-driven boys. Alaina is the author of the book Parenting Talent: The Grown-Up’s Guide to Understanding and Supporting Creatively-Driven Teens and Tweens and she is the head of a practice by the same name specializing in coaching others and speaking and advising on the topic. The combination of Alaina’s professional background in psychology and personal experience with her three, creatively-driven boys, has enabled her to connect the dots between the science of adolescent ..read more

This episode features a conversation with Barbara Sipe, Jeanine Turner, and Amir Elsayed from the Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit NextUp RVA. Barbara is President & CEO of NextUp, an organization that partners with schools, the district, the city, and the community to connect middle schoolers with quality out-of-school-time opportunities across the city of Richmond, as well as provide capacity-building and support for providers of expanded learning programs. Jeanine is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Programs for NextUp, and Amir is Senior Manager of Program Services. The ..read more