From the Director

It is a great privilege and a great adventure to serve as Director of this university-based, community focused enterprise and I invite you to explore and discover the people, projects and mission that make it so.

The mission driven work of the Center – preparing youth for education, work and life – has stayed relevant over the past nearly 30 years as the broad field of youth and community development grew from an “emerging field” to a “maturing profession.”  Along the way, we have shaped policy and practice during six White House Administrations.  With deep roots and a legacy of evaluation research and capacity building projects in youth employment, education, service learning, college access, citizen leadership and community youth development, the Center is well positioned to address the next generation of challenges – and they are great. 

So, if you are a potential client scanning our website, dive into our archives and explore our people and projects to evaluate our qualifications and track record.  If you are a student or applicant to one of our degree programs, check out our teaching faculty and staff. If you are curious about how I came to this great place and why I do what I do, take a look at my article in the Brandeis Magazine titled "The View from Val-Kill: Walking in Eleanor Roosevelt’s scholarly footsteps."

"The Center for Youth and Communities: Making Knowledge Productive for 30 Years"