ABSTRACT
In order to enhance the health of adolescents, it is necessary to bridge traditional gaps between the world of academic health research and the worlds in which adolescents are embedded: families, schools, and communities. Schools of public health, accustomed to addressing prevention issues such as immunization, prenatal care, infectious diseases, environmental health, and screening for disabilities, are natural partners with communities for health promotion and disease prevention activities. The mission of the Policy and Information Dissemination Work Group is to help the Center to provide targeted information, education, and communication about issues related to adolescent health to a variety of audiences. The Center for Adolescent Health's mission to generate and apply new knowledge to health problems of communities is shared by other divisions within the health institutions. Academic health centers must learn to integrate youth and community perspectives into their efforts to assess the needs and priorities of adolescents and their families in urban and rural communities.
