About ACT for Youth

ACT (Assets Coming Together) for Youth connects positive youth development resources and research to practice in New York State and beyond. The ACT for Youth Center of Excellence provides:

• Technical support, training, and evaluation for youth-serving programs funded by the NYS Department of Health 
• New resources for New York State teens on nysyouth.net, including sexual health, leadership development, youth rights on the job, and managing stress.
• Youth development and adolescent sexual health resources housed on the ACT for Youth website

• A home base for the ACT Youth Network, which connects young community activists across New York State.

Formerly, the ACT for Youth Center of Excellence provided support for 12 ACT for Youth communities around New York State. These cross-sector community partnerships sought to create systemic changes within a positive youth development framework. While NYS Department of Health funding for the community partnerships ended in June 2009, many of the ACT for Youth communities are creatively seeking ways to continue to build communities where young people feel safe, where they are connected to adults and community institutions, and where they have developmentally supportive opportunities to be active agents in their lives and communities. You can learn more about the 2000-2009 ACT for Youth Initiative through the publications Lessons Learned from ACT for Youth: The First Five Years (pdf), and Strengthening Communities Through Youth Participation (pdf).

ACT for Youth is made possible through the generous support of the New York State Department of Health as part of its effort to promote positive youth development and prevent risky and unhealthy behaviors among adolescents.

ACT for Youth Center of Excellence Partners

Cornell University Family Life Development Center (FLDC) leads the COE partnership. A multi-disciplinary unit of the College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, FLDC seeks to understand and act upon risk and protective factors in the lives of children, youth, families, and communities. FLDC brings expertise in positive youth development, cross-sector community collaboration, organizational development, and program evaluation. Visit FLDC: http://www.human.cornell.edu/fldc/

Cornell University Cooperative Extension of New York City (CUCE-NYC) is a research-based educational organization that addresses the evolving needs of communities, families, and individuals by engaging them in experiential learning opportunities. CUCE-NYC brings expertise in school-based and out-of-school programming, diversity, community health and nutrition, parenting education, and youth civic engagement. Visit CUCE-NYC: http://nyc.cce.cornell.edu/

New York State Center for School Safety (NYSCSS) is a government coordinating agency and information clearinghouse based in New Paltz. NYSCSS works directly with schools and after school programs across the state, providing training and resources to help educators and community organizations create safe and healthy learning environments. NYSCSS brings expertise in schools, after school programming, violence prevention, and advocacy. Visit NYSCSS: http://nyscenterforschoolsafety.org/

University of Rochester Medical Center Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, has more than 40 years of experience in providing community-oriented care to adolescents and their families. The University of Rochester brings expertise in adolescent health and development, preventive care, program evaluation, and linking public health with positive youth development. Visit Adolescent Medicine: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pediatrics/divisions/adolescent_medicine/index.cfm