About us

Formally established at the University of Victoria in 2002, the Centre for Youth & Society designs and conducts research anchored by collaborative partnerships with local, national, and international youth-serving and youth-led organizations. Faculty Research Fellows of the Centre are scholars from diverse faculties united by their interest in contributing to the well-being of youth through research and program evaluation impact.

Our efforts are concentrated in interdisciplinary research, graduate student training, and knowledge mobilization on all aspects of the relationship between youth and society.

The Centre facilitates university-community partnerships to generate and mobilize knowledge regarding youth strengths, challenges, and opportunities. Current research clusters include: youth mental health, youth literacies, digital youth, Indigenous youth, youth and the economy, youth in international contexts, youth health and recreation, community-youth engagement, youth with special abilities, and knowledge mobilization tools for youth and other audiences.

Why focus on youth? 

The adolescent and young adult years build on the foundations established in childhood and set the course across the lifespan. In focusing on "youth," we are referring not only to a specific developmental period, but also to the childhood experiences that influence youth, as well as the early adult years that are shaped by successful adolescent passages. 

Investments in adolescents and young adults, or, conversely, the failure to address their needs, can result in lifelong consequences for youth and for our society.