Youth Development Research Update

The Youth Development Research Update, now an annual event, brings practitioners and researchers together for a day and a half in Ithaca, New York. In addition to presentations on specific areas of research, the Research Update offers participants the opportunity to explore two questions: How can practitioners use research findings for interventions or practices that benefit young people? Which questions emerge from the field that researchers have not explored and need to address? The event is sponsored by the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University.

2012 Youth Development Research Update

The next Youth Development Research Update will be held June 5-6, 2012 in Ithaca, New York.

• Opening Remarks - Valerie N. Adams
• Engaging Youth in Disciplinary Literacy: How Can We "Extend" Authentic, Relevant Learning? - Travis D. Park
• Purpose as an Asset for Youth Development - Anthony L. Burrow
• Puberty: Individual Differences and Emotional Development - Jane E. Mendle
• Bullies and Their Bullying: Who Are They and Can We Stop Them? - Ritch C. Savin-Williams
• Youths' and Families' Cultural and Political Knowledge: A Human Rights Perspective - Sofia A. Villenas

Throughout the event, several roundtable discussions will allow time to focus on application and implementation issues.

Registration and Information (PDF: 47K)

2011 Youth Development Research Update

The following presentations were offered at the 2011 Youth Development Research Update.

Linking Research and Practice
Stephen F. Hamilton offers perspective on translational research in the field of youth development. Hamilton is Professor of Human Development and Associate Director for Youth Development, Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University.

Understanding Adolescent Girls' Relational Aggression
Dawn E. Schrader discusses her research into how girls view aggression among their friends and peers (presentation unavailable). Schrader is Associate Professor of Education, Cornell University.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents and Young Adults
Janis Whitlock covers the basics of self-injury, including detection, intervention, and prevention, and offers resources. Whitlock is a Research Scientist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research and Director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury in Adolescence and Young Adults.

The Evaluation Partnerships: Making Evaluation Work
Monica Hargraves offers the example of the Evaluation Partnerships, a research project of Cornell Office for Research on Evaluation (CORE) and Cornell Cooperative Extension, and discusses how evaluation helps connect practice to research and vice versa. Hargraves is Manager of Evaluation for Extension and Outreach at CORE.

Is It that You Can't or Is It that You Don't Want to?
Sahara Byrne's work examines why strategic messages are sometimes ineffective or even produce results completely counter to what was intended (presentation unavailable). Byrne is Assistant Professor of Communication, Cornell University.