Youth Empowerment Solutions
FAS results regarding adult role models, mentors, civic engagement, and ethnic identity were translated into an after-school program and curriculum to enhance positive youth development and prevent problem behaviors. The program, Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES), was funded from 2004-2009 by CDC to develop the project, and then by NIH to test it in an randomized control trial from 2010-2015. YES has been implemented in several cities across the U.S. and internationally.
Findings from the YES process and outcomes evaluations have been published in several key journals. A complete list of YES publications is available on the YES website.
Fathers and Sons
FAS findings demonstrate that fathers play a vital role in adolescent development, whether or not they live with their children. The Fathers and Sons program was developed based on these findings. The Fathers and Sons curriculum strengthens the bonds between fathers and sons and promotes positive health behaviors. The program was developed in Flint, Michigan through a partnership with community based organizations, the local health department and the UM School of Public Health and was the core project for the CDC funded Prevention Research Center of Michigan from 1994-1998. Led by Dr. Cleopatra Caldwell, Fathers and Sons has is now being launched in Chicago.
Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center
The study results have also been used in proposals showing need for other prevention projects including the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center (MI-YVPC) at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. The MI-YVPC is one of six National Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Centers are funded to research youth violence prevention approaches, collect and analyze surveillance data, and foster relationships with local community partners to help develop, implement, and evaluate promising prevention efforts. The Center is working with community groups, and engaging youth to improve properties in neighborhoods as an innovative approach to preventing youth violence. The Center's core project grew out of FAS findings that engaging community and particularly youth contributes to positive youth development.
International Studies
This study has also provided the basis (i.e., design, questionnaire, theoretical frame) for similar studies in Poland, South Africa, and China. The first two studies also include publications replicating some of the results from this study (listed below). The study in China formed the dissertation and publications of a recent doctoral graduate.