Youth in Focus is a national collaborative of youth and family development experts. As individual organizations, we have spent decades training youth workers, social workers, teachers, counselors, health workers, law enforcement professionals and parents in how to build effective and respectful relationships with young people — even young people who have issues that make real connection seem unlikely.

After years of training independently, in 2015 we came together for two simple reasons — to consolidate our expertise and bridge the research to practice gap.

A new wave of brain science has created revelatory understandings of precisely what young people need developmentally to succeed. We always knew youth develop their own behaviors largely in response to the behaviors of the adults around them – not just parents, but youth workers, teachers, police officers, and neighbors, too. Now we understand why, and exactly which adult behaviors help and which slow down optimal development. Our training isn’t about guesswork, pie-in-the-sky thinking, or ideology. It’s about science and what we know to be true. We teach easy-to-implement, easy-to-transfer skills based in human biology and behavior.

YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR OWN
BEHAVIORS LARGELY IN RESPONSE TO THE
BEHAVIORS OF ADULTS AROUND THEM. NOW
WE UNDERSTAND WHY, AND EXACTLY WHICH
ADULT BEHAVIORS HELP AND WHICH SLOW DOWN
OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT.

Unfortunately, though, professionals who work directly with young people every day are sometimes the last to benefit from new knowledge or learn the new skills necessary to put that knowledge to practical use. This ‘research-to-practice’ gap is a well-known problem in many fields, but the well-being of young people is vitally importantly — and they can’t wait.

That’s why we exist. While diverse in our interests and specialties, every member of our collaborative is deeply immersed in the same core brain-based approaches, and we co-design trainings for both practitioners and trainers, remotely or in-person.

All of the Youth and Families Thrive trainings are offered through the Academy in collaboration with Youth in Focus.

Youth in Focus offers training content rooted in the latest research and best practice methods to bring high-quality instruction to professionals and community members alike. Our events, whether in-person or virtual, are highly interactive and provide practical strategies and tools to improve relationships and supports to young people. Meet our trainers.

See who attends Youth in Focus trainings.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or any of our partnering organizations. We’ll help you make the transformational change you’re seeking in your organization or community.