Families and youth

Extension is expanding its online education and resources while in-person events and classes are canceled.

Parents holding a child showing her blocks.

Army mother reading to her daughter while sitting on a chair.

Father and son looking at each other lovingly while walking.

University of Minnesota Extension works across the lifespan. We create and support positive non-formal learning opportunities for youth. We foster resilient, healthy and secure futures for families and seniors. Extension works with Minnesotans to make informed decisions leading to better health and well-being.

Parenting

Encouraging positive behavior

Strengthen your relationship with your children.

Overindulgence

It's important for parents and caregivers to identify and prevent overindulgence in their homes.

Communication and screen time

Get resources and tips about how to communicate with your children about technology.

Divorce and other family transitions

Find resources and information about the impact of family transitions including divorce or separation, change in employment, families experiencing parental incarceration, and the cycle of deployment affecting military families.

Teen Talk Fact Sheet series

A series of fact sheets for parents of teenagers focusing on parent-teen communication about challenging topics.

Working with youth

Training

Take a class online, in person or hire us to deliver a custom training for your organization.

Research

We conduct and share out-of-school time research to address important issues related to the field of youth development.

What we do

We offer research-backed training and online resources for professionals and volunteers to apply in youth programs.

Youth Development Insight blog

What's happening in the field of youth development, with an eye to evidence-based research.

Podcast series

Youth workers discuss research, theory and best practices. Topics include: youth programs, youth issues, volunteer development, cultural diversity and social and emotional learning.