Child Trends, together with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Healthy Teen Network, has been awarded a competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs to establish and operate Activate: The Collective to Bring Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Research to Youth-Supporting Professionals. Activate aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, in support of the Office of Population Affairs’ mission to prevent teen pregnancy and promote adolescent health and the development of positive assets and healthy behaviors.

Activate aims to bridge the gap between research and practice

Through this partnership, Activate will translate research to practice by creating resources for use by professionals who support youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems (e.g., youth in foster care; youth on probation), youth experiencing homelessness, and opportunity youth (i.e., youth who are disconnected from school and work). These professionals may include health providers, community-based youth practitioners, probation officers, attorneys, educators, workforce development trainers, caseworkers, program and agency administrators, program managers, policymakers, and other key stakeholders. Other audiences Activate may engage include young people, parents, and caregivers.

The partnership brings together three uniquely qualified organizations with complementary substantive expertise, as well as shared and distinct track records of conducting research, promoting evidence-based practices, disseminating findings, developing research-to-practice resources, and directing research and technical assistance centers. To guide the work, Activate will form and maintain partnerships with a larger Research Alliance that includes researchers, professionals who work with youth, as well as youth.

Resources that translate research findings and scientific knowledge into guidance for professionals are often lacking or inconsistent. Using a research-based process and human-centered design to prioritize the needs and motivations of various key audiences, Activate will create resources that are timely, accessible, and evidence-based. These resources will be paired with training and support, so professionals build their capacity with skills they need to implement best practices and approaches. Activate resources will make it easier for professionals to use research in their everyday work with young people, with the end goal to support adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Activate’s first task will be to finalize a needs assessment to guide and prioritize resources to be developed. Researchers, youth-supporting professionals, and other key stakeholders are encouraged to sign up to receive Activate updates and information about new resources.