Marginalized Youth

Overview

Historically excluded youth suffer from significant disparities in health and wellbeing yet do not benefit from research or innovative interventions to the same extent as other youth. Historically excluded youth  include youth marginalized by homelessness, being pushed out of school, sexual minority status, racism, poverty, immigration, and other factors. These social determinants of health not only affect youth by limiting their access to opportunity but can also get embedded into their physical body through toxic stress.

i4Y is committed to describing the effects of the social determinants of health on the health and wellbeing of historically excluded youth. Additionally, i4Y strives to understand how these social determinants can be modified to provide youth with the scaffolding to transition into successful adults. i4Y collaborates with community stakeholders to pilot, evaluate and disseminate structural interventions that address youth inequities in real-world settings.


YAAH

Youth and Allies Against Homelessness (YAAH)

Youth and Allies Against Homelessness (YAAH) is a team formed under the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and Innovations for Youth. YAAH members are committed to uplifting the voices of youth experiencing homelessness and working towards creating tangible change. YAAH is composed of individuals committed to ending homelessness, including youth who are exiting or have exited homelessness, and college students who have either experienced homelessness in their youth or have demonstrated a commitment to ending homelessness. YAAH aims to share all research results with youth and key stakeholders to inform the planning of the next steps for a collaborative research agenda and to improve policies and services for SF and Alameda County youth. Click here to read YAAH's latest report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Bay Area youth experiencing homelessness.

Ending Youth Homelessness Catalyst Group

Sponsored by i4Y, the aim of the Catalyst Group is to eliminate youth homelessness both in the Bay Area and on the UC Berkeley campus. Our approach is to synergize research and practice through a collaboration between community based organizations, local public servants, students, staff and faculty.

Robert Wood Johnson Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Program

Dr. Colette Auerswald from i4Y, Dr. Marguerita Lightfoot from UCSF, and Sherilyn Adams, Executive Director of Larkin Street Youth Services, were among 15 teams nationally selected as Interdisciplinary Research Leaders.


A Second Chance in the Second Decade: Adolescence as a Key Developmental Window to Transform Population Health

Adolescence_v.2@UCB