Introducing Thrive: A Special CaseyCast Episode With Lisa Lawson

Jeffrey Arnett on Helping Young People Navigate Emerging Adulthood

On the lat­est episode of Cas­ey­Cast, Foun­da­tion Pres­i­dent and CEO Lisa Law­son talks with Dr. Jef­frey Arnett, pro­fes­sor at Clark Uni­ver­si­ty and the psy­chol­o­gist who coined the term “emerg­ing adult­hood,” about how young peo­ple nav­i­gate the years between adolescence and established adulthood. Emerg­ing adult­hood refers to the life stage from about ages 18 to 29 — a peri­od marked by explo­ration, iden­ti­ty for­ma­tion and major deci­sions about edu­ca­tion, work, rela­tion­ships and inde­pen­dence. Arnett’s research high­lights how this stage has changed over the past sev­er­al decades as young peo­ple mar­ry lat­er, have chil­dren lat­er, take longer to find sta­ble work and face a more com­plex path to adulthood.

Adriana Galvan and Lisa Lawson on Using Brain Science to Help Gen Z Thrive

This episode of CaseyCast is adapted from a live conversation at the 2026 Adolescent Brain Development Summit hosted by the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent. Foundation President and CEO Lisa Lawson joined Adriana Galván for a fireside chat about how to better support young people as they navigate the path to adulthood.

Michele Jacobs on Helping Young People Earn, Learn and Thrive in Atlanta

On the lat­est episode of CaseyCast, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Pres­i­dent and CEO Lisa Law­son talks with Michelle Jacobs, asso­ciate vice pres­i­dent of col­lege and career ready at Unit­ed Way of Greater Atlanta, about how Career Ready ATL is reimagining pathways to work for young people. Career Ready ATL is a youth apprenticeship program designed to support young people ages 16 to 24 who are furthest from opportunity — including those involved in foster care, the juvenile justice system or disconnected from school and work. Through partnerships with employers, schools and community organizations, the initiative combines paid, on-the-job learning with education and wraparound supports to help young people build sustainable careers.

Nicole Clifton on How Employers Can Help Young People Thrive

Nicole “Nikki” Clifton, president of social impact at UPS and president of the UPS Foundation, joins the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Lisa Lawson to discuss how companies can support young people through jobs, mentoring and community partnerships — from delivering vaccines to fighting trafficking to creating career pathways.

Adriana Galván on the Adolescent Brain, Stress and Systems that Support Young People

Adolescence is a time of both vulnerability and possibility. UCLA professor Adriana Galván — a leading researcher on the adolescent brain — joins Casey Foundation President & CEO Lisa Lawson to discuss how brain science can guide education, justice, and social systems to better support young people on their path to adulthood.