Using Developmental Science to Inform the Design and Implementation of Programs with Very Young Adolescents: Implications for sexual and reproductive health

This resource is intended for program designers, implementers, researchers, and policy makers who work with very young adolescents aged 10-14 years. The resource provides concrete guidance and examples on how to integrate developmental science principles into very young adolescent (VYA) health and development programming.

Through implementation research, iterative learning and adaptation of programs, program designers, implementers, researchers, and policy makers have identified what types of interventions and activities are well suited for VYAs. This resource complements existing knowledge by providing a developmental science-informed understanding of why these approaches work and considerations to improve the match between interventions and the developmental process of young adolescents.

This guidance can be used at any point during the project cycle to review, refine and adapt selected activities and interventions to tailor them to the developmental needs of VYAs.