Goal 2: Evidence-based and Innovative Strategies

Goal 2: Evidence-based and Innovative Strategies: Promote the use of evidence-based and innovative strategies at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels.

Across the country, youth-serving programs and initiatives are working to improve youth outcomes by promoting positive strategies.  Community partners are implementing evidence-based and innovative strategies that are overcoming the effects of traumatic experiences and preventing or reducing youth engagement in risky behaviors which is important in a context of shrinking resources and complex challenges in the youth being served.  Evidence-based programs have been studied with rigorous evaluation designs and shown positive effects on intended outcomes.  There is an array of directories, technical assistance centers, guidebooks, and websites to help youth-serving groups select and implement evidence-based programs for youth. Many challenges persist, however. The evidence is uneven across systems. We often have limited information on what works with subpopulations of youth, particularly across age groups, gender, culture, race, disability status, and sexual orientation.

In Goal 2, the Working Group seeks to encourage the continued development of evidence-based strategies for youth programs, dissemination of knowledge about selection, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based strategies, and support for innovation to address current gaps in the knowledge base, as well as new and emerging challenges.    

Two objectives provide activities to be undertaken to achieve Goal 2:

Objective 1: Encourage the adoption of evidence-based strategies, and support their implementation.

Objective 2: Support innovation and deepen the evidence base to fill gaps in knowledge.

Download and read the complete Pathways for Youth: Draft Strategic Plan for Federal Collaboration (PDF, 50 pages) and provide your thoughts below.