Achieving Positive Development for Youth in Brazil: How far have we come and what is yet needed?

Silvia Koller

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Street involved youth, unemployment and school dropouts have been current realities during troubled social and political times in Brazil. I will present my work in Brazil with at-risk youth. Our team’s main focus has been to improve the quality of life of at risk youth as well as to promote their knowledge about rights. I will focus on methodological aspects, intervention results, and application on social policy. How can research results be applied in interventions and foment positive youth development of at risk youth? How can research result in effective programs and policy to help youth adapt well to social change, and when possible, transform these changes into opportunity? How far have the research team come and what is yet needed?