The Center for School-Based Youth Development (CSBYD) at UC Santa Barbara has released its 2014 annual report, highlighting 22 active funded research projects dedicated to work with at-risk students developed by 10 faculty and researchers from UCSB and affiliated institutions, by 10 student researchers and by 11 research partners worldwide. CSBYD is a community of researchers devoted to developing a better understanding of the role of school engagement as a protective force in children’s lives and that promotes academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being. According to the report, from 2013-14, CSBYD faculty published 72 publications and 14 technical reports and gave 11 conference presentations. The Journal of School Violence continued to be edited by the CSBYD and researchers provided reviews for 46 other research journals with researchers involved as members in 11 journal editorial boards. CSBYD’s activities were graciously funded by 22 contracts and grants.
The research projects explored a wide-range of issues, including bullying, youth violence, and substance abuse. For instance, one contract evaluates the implementation of an elementary counseling grant, while another evaluates a county program that provides an evaluation of Santa Barbara Calgrip to improve juvenile outcomes for youth on probation or at-risk for gang affiliation.
The Center for School-Based Youth Development is a community of researchers--Dr. Michael Furlong (Director), Dr. Erin Dowdy, Dr. Erika Felix, Dr. Karen Nylund-Gibson, Dr. Michaela Lenzi, Dr. Matt Quirk, Dr. Jill Sharkey, Antoniya Terzieva, Dr. Sukkyong You, and Ida Frugård Støm. The Center was formed in 2002 through the Gevirtz Funds for Excellence thanks to the generosity of 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.