Promoting Adolescent Development in Community Context

The scholarships of discovery (empirical research) and application (community-based practice) are alone insufficient in creating the types of valid and relevant information necessary to understand and promote youth development as it occurs in community context. Discovery and application need to be complemented by the scholarship of integration--scholarship that brings together research and practice not only in terms of purpose and content but also method and process, to construct shared knowledge and understanding. Based on this premise and consistent with the mission of Applied Developmental Science, the editors hope to contribute to the field of positive youth development by highlighting knowledge about the ecology of adolescent development, as well as interest and commitment among researchers and practitioners to work together.