- Youth Health
- Youth Research
- Youth Engagement
Our Background
Adolescence is a time of change and self-discovery and is particularly important for developing healthy lifestyles into adulthood. In order to fully support the healthy development of BC youth, communities need relevant, accurate, up-to-date information to guide their programming and policy decisions.
McCreary Centre Society is a BC-based charity which conducts community-based research, evaluation, and youth engagement initiatives to improve youth health.
Our BC Adolescent Health Survey (BC AHS) and other youth health research projects (including literature reviews, special population surveys, and smaller qualitative and quantitative studies), give an evidence base of youth health trends, emerging issues, and risk and protective factors for healthy development.
Our high quality academic research is used by service providers, academics, policy makers, young people, and those who support them. Through youth and community engagement projects, we engage local communities across BC who help steer the direction of our work. This ensures that our research is as relevant, useful, and culturally responsive across the province as possible.
Our History
Founded in 1977, the Society engages in a wide range of activities and research to identify and address the health needs of young people in the province. The society takes its name from the late Dr. J.F. McCreary, a pediatrician and medical administrator, whose leadership in promoting inter-professional teaching and multi-disciplinary approaches in health care set a standard that the society seeks to emulate.
Our Mission
Our mission is to foster all aspects of youth health and positive development based on the strength of our research, evaluation, and engagement with youth and communities in the most culturally competent way possible.
Our Programs
About the BC Adolescent Health Survey
The BC Adolescent Health Survey (BC AHS) is a questionnaire used to gather information about young people’s physical and emotional health, and about factors that can influence health during adolescence or in later life.
About the YRA
The YRA is a group of youth aged 16 to 24 with experience of the government care system. Members of the YRA are trained to conduct research projects of interest to youth in and from government care and the agencies that serve them.
Program Evaluations
In addition to doing internal evaluations of its own projects, McCreary carries out independent evaluations for other non-profit agencies.
Next Steps
The Next Steps is an interactive youth friendly workshop or workshop series used to take the results of McCreary research back to young people across the province.
