Thrive: What Adolescents Need to Successfully Cross the Bridge to Adulthood

Thrive: What Adolescents Need to Successfully Cross the Bridge to Adulthood

From Good Things from Lemonada by Lemonada Media

April 9, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

The episode discusses what young people need to thrive during adolescence and introduces five key pillars for supporting their transition to adulthood.

What does it take for young people to thrive? In this first episode of a six-part series, host Gloria Riviera sits down with Lisa Lawson, President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and author of Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children. Lisa makes the case that adolescence is a powerful period of growth, and shares what the science and on-the-ground work tell us about supporting the 48 million young people in America between the ages of 14 and 24. She also introduces the five pillars shaping the path to adulthood that will guide the rest of the series: basic needs, permanent connections, education and credentials, financial stability and well-being, and youth leadership. This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization that develops solutions to build a brighter future for children, youth, families and communities. Learn more at aecf.org.

People in this episode

Host: Gloria Riviera

Guest: Lisa Lawson

Topics covered

  • adolescence
  • youth development
  • support systems
  • education
  • financial stability
  • leadership

Keywords

  • adolescence
  • youth
  • support
  • education
  • financial stability
  • leadership
  • Annie E. Casey Foundation

Sponsors

Annie E. Casey Foundation

Mentioned in this episode

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

More episodes of Good Things from Lemonada

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Good Things from Lemonada podcast page.