In the report launch of the National Academies’ The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth, participants came together with the report’s authors to explore how the emerging understanding of adolescent brains and behavior can be applied to systems and society to better serve youth in this exciting developmental stage.

How can systems, communities, and individuals use the science of adolescent development to support the promise of adolescence for all youth? The Promise of Adolescence explored the emerging science of adolescent development and its many applications in policy and practice. The report finds ample evidence that changes in brain structure and connectivity that happen in adolescence present young people with unique opportunities for positive, life-shaping development, and for healing from past adversity. But for too many youth, the report concludes, the promise of adolescence is not being realized. This report provides multiple recommendations for policy and practice – such as in health care, education, justice, and child welfare – that capitalize on these developmental opportunities and address inequities that undermine the well-being of many adolescents and leave them less able to take advantage of the promise offered by this stage of life.

More information can be found on the report website.

Related Resources from the National Academies

• Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity
• Communicating to Advance the Public’s Health
• Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda
• A Framework for Educating Health Professionals to Address the Social Determinants of Health
• Framing the Dialogue on Race and Ethnicity to Advance Health Equity: Proceedings of a Workshop
• Exploring Equity in Multisector Community Health Partnerships: Proceedings of a Workshop

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