Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children

A bold new argument for harnessing brain science to help young people realize their full potential, from the noted business and foundation leader

“In the last decade, a growing body of longitudinal neuroimaging research has demonstrated that adolescence is a period of continued brain growth and change, challenging longstanding assumptions that the brain was largely finished maturing by puberty.” —National Institutes of Health

Breakthroughs in adolescent brain science have made it clear that young people need stable relationships, meaningful opportunities and strong support to become thriving adults. Yet far too many grow up without access to these essentials. Whether it’s a young person trying to finish school and secure their first job, navigating the trauma of losing loved ones to violence or seeking connection after being placed in foster care, their experiences reveal how deeply our public systems are falling short—and how urgently we must act.

A major new book for parents, local leaders, and policymakers alike, Thrive argues that how we understand and address the unequal experiences of adolescence holds the key to ensuring that all children have an equal chance of becoming successful adults. Drawing on her deep experience working in business and alongside youth, nonprofit and public system leaders as head of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, author Lisa M. Lawson offers a powerful and accessible look at what the science of adolescent development tells us—and what it demands of us. With clarity and purpose, she reveals how our policies and practices too often fail young people, and how we can do better by creating the connections, opportunities and support they need to reach their full potential.

Arguing that we all have a shared stake in helping young people navigate the road to adulthood, Lawson lays out the ways that public systems, nonprofits, businesses and families can draw lessons from science—and take steps to help all young people thrive.

Lisa M. Lawson is the president and chief executive officer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Since taking the helm in 2019, Lawson has spearheaded Casey’s Thrive by 25 effort, which aims to improve outcomes for adolescents ages fourteen to twenty-four to ensure they successfully transition to adulthood. In 2023, she was selected as one of Inside Philanthropy’s fifty most powerful women in U.S. philanthropy. She lives in Baltimore.