Dear Community,

I am deeply honored to step into the role of Director of ACT for Youth. Though I am new to this role, I have been a part of ACT for Youth for twenty years, serving first as a member of the evaluation team and then as director of research and evaluation. I have always been passionate about promoting the health and well-being of youth, even – and perhaps especially – when this means addressing difficult topics such as mental health, violence prevention, and sexual health. It has been a true pleasure to work and learn alongside the ACT for Youth team and all of you for so many years. As director, I’m excited to bring my passion for adolescent development, translational research, and implementation science to all the ways we work with you. I look forward to continuing and expanding our connections with you, a community dedicated to the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults.

With gratitude,

Mandy

Amanda Purington Drake

Director, ACT for Youth Center for Community Action

Our new logo

In concert with our new website, we worked with Westhill Graphics to reimagine our look and logo. What's going on in the "O" of youth? That's our (admittedly subtle) reminder of the social spheres of interaction and influence affecting youths' lives, from the inner rings of family, friends, and peers through the environments like school, neighborhood, job, and faith community, out to larger societal structures and norms. It's our nod to Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development, one of the foundations of positive youth development.