A Vision of Youth Thriving:
Aligning External Assets with Youth Strengths and Needs
Monday, July 21, 2025
1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT / 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. AKT / 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. HT (view your time zone)
DESCRIPTION
Foundational work in Positive Youth Development (PYD) has shifted the way that we think about adolescence and young adulthood as a time of unique opportunity and potential rather than a time full of risk and deficits. With that orientation, researchers and practitioners are working as a scientific and applied community to better understand thriving and the factors that support it. Stemming from a qualitative study with young people and practitioners across the country, this presentation will highlight a vision of thriving, which includes key outcomes of mental and physical health, and the strengths and assets youth experience in themselves and in the communities that support their thriving. We will discuss how practitioners and others who support young people (either personally or professionally) can use these findings and how others from the field of PYD can be asset builders for young people. We invite you to come with your own wisdom and questions and are excited to dive in together and envision a world where every young person has the strengths and supports they need to thrive!
No-cost continuing education hours are available for mental health providers and peer support specialists!
Credit is being offered by the Center for Applied Research Solutions (CARS) for the following licenses: ASW, BRN, CCS, CSD, LCSW, LEP, LMFT, LPCC, PPS, PRSS, JI-RPS, MHPS, RSPS, PSS, Peer Instructor, & General Contact Hours. CARS is an approved provider for: CCAPP #4N-08-923-0722, CA Board of Registered Nurses #CEP16303, Texas Certification Board #2124-23, and CAMFT #131736.
AUDIENCE
Youth-serving professionals, mental health practitioners, educators, community organization leaders, policymakers, and family advocates who support youth development and well-being.
Meet the Facilitators
Katherine Ross, PhD is a mixed methods Senior Research Scientist and her work is aimed at identifying and optimizing young people’s ecological strengths. She has a 15-year career in the field of positive youth development and has focused on school research, examining social and emotional learning programs as a lever for student success, as well as community research, examining the unique strengths and assets of youth and young adults in communities with high rates of violence as an avenue for youth violence prevention. She’s currently focused on expanding positive youth development models and measures to represent youth and practitioner expertise and experiences. Katherine completed a postdoc at Virginia Commonwealth University, her PhD in Educational Psychology, Applied Developmental Science from the University of Virginia, and her BS in Psychology at Pennsylvania State University. Katherine loves to ask big questions; ultimately, she believes that all youth deserve access to opportunities that nurture and propel their goals, strengths, and passions.
Erica Van Steenis, PhD, MS is an Improvement Scientist at Search Institute. Erica provides knowledge and leadership to practice improvement projects in the field of positive youth development. Before joining Search Institute, she was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Irvine Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN). She has more than 20 years of experience as a youth worker, youth development researcher and educator. Erica holds a PhD in Learning Sciences and Human Development from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Master of Science in Community Development from the University of California, Davis.
Melissa Smith MS, CDEI is a Change Consultant with Change Matrix and Technical Assistance Specialist for the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) funded by HHS. With expertise in education and a focus on transformative learning, she designs experiences that foster inclusive, engaging spaces where marginalized voices are amplified. She utilizes data-driven insights to help organizations create equitable environments and challenge systemic barriers. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Reading from Radford University. Her work emphasizes the intersection of education, mental health, and social change, encouraging communities to move beyond conventional approaches to support social, emotional, and mental well-being.