Community

Promoting Positive Change

Several of the issues facing today's youth reflect systemic issues that affect the policies, systems, and environments pertinent to youths’ lives. Poverty, obesity, and substance abuse – to give just a few examples – impact individual children and families but also are reflective of systemic issues in our country and communities. Given the complex needs of today's youth, it is essential that families, communities, community agencies, and businesses come together to promote health norms, advocate for policy supportive of youth services, and improve accessibility to key resources. When a community comes together as partners in youth development, positive change can occur, leading to better outcomes for youth (Epstein, 1995). To this end, CAYCI is committed to supporting community initiatives that aim to impact the overall healthy development of today's youth. This commitment has led to CAYCI conducting a number of evaluation and research projects focused on community-wide initiatives. Click on the names of the projects below to learn more.