The Center for School-Based Youth Development (CSBYD) releases its 2011 annual report, stressing its work with at-risk students

The Center for School-Based Youth Development (CSBYD) at UC Santa Barbara has released its 2011 annual report, highlighting the work with at-risk students in schools conducted by six UCSB faculty researchers and seven research partners. CSBYD engages in research that better informs educators how to enhance student engagement and thereby promote their social and academic competence. According to the report, in 2010-11 CSBYD faculty published 41 articles and 8 technical reports, gave 23 conference presentations, including invited addresses at international conferences in China and India. The Journal of School Violence continued to be edited by the CSBYD and researchers provided reviews fro 25 research journals. CSBYD’s activities were graciously funded by 17 contracts and grants.

The research projects explored a wide-range of issues. For instance two contracts evaluate the improvement of local probation practices to reduce parolee recidivism, while a National Institute of Mental Health grant funded work examining risk and protective factors in children’s recovery following a natural disaster in Puerto Rico. Several other projects evaluated the implementation in Carpinteria and Santa Maria of an enhanced, coordinated, comprehensive plan of activities, programs, and services to promote healthy childhood development and prevent violence, alcohol, and other drug abuse.

The annual report is on-line.

The Center for School-Based Youth Development is a community of researchers – Dr. Michael Furlong, Dr. Erika Felix, Dr. Jill Sharkey, Dr. Gale Morrison, Dr. Erin Dowdy, and Dr. Matt Quirk – devoted to developing a better understanding of the role of student engagement as a protective force in children's lives and that promotes academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being. The Center was formed in 2002 through the Gevirtz Funds for Excellence through the generosity of the Ambassador Don Gevirtz and his wife Marilyn Gevirtz. The core of the CSBYD is in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at UCSB’s Gevirtz School.