The Gardner Center partners with communities, researchers, and practitioners to conduct rigorous research, support evidence-based practices to improve and strengthen the well-being of youth, and emphasize equity and capacity-building in youth-serving organizations.
Welcome
Research
Personalized Learning as Transformative Learning
Read the second in a series of case studies highlighting the challenges, creative policy responses, and exemplary practices in California’s legislatively created public alternative high schools.
Stanford's Long History of Supporting Local Students' Mental Health & Wellbeing
For decades, Stanford has engaged in school and community collaborations that support positive youth development, including efforts focusing on mental health and well-being. Read about the Gardner Center's role in this work.
How School Communities Can Address Compassion Fatigue & Promote Wellbeing
In this Q&A, Dr. Kristin Geiser prompts Dr. Joshi to unpack the concept of compassion fatigue and offer his thoughts on how school communities can address secondary traumatic stress and promote wellbeing.
Our Team
Our interdisciplinary team includes students, researchers, faculty, and more.
John W. Gardner (1912-2002)
"John W. Gardner’s work and his vision were always about equality, justice, and the promise of human potential. He saw what so many people see as society’s insoluble problems as breathtaking opportunities. His vision for young people’s role in communities will live on through the work of the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities."
-Milbrey McLaughlin
Founding Faculty Director
View a Timeline of John W. Gardner's Life
John W. Gardner Papers
Stanford Libraries is home to many of Gardner’s personal and professional papers. There are also recordings and photographs from throughout his life, and a collection of oral histories. A Spotlight exhibit serves as an introduction to this archive, highlighting Gardner’s life and his lasting impact on education, public service, and Stanford University.
To learn more about Gardner's life and the collections at Stanford, you can access the Spotlight exhibit here.
Credit: John W. Gardner Papers (SCO908)
