RYTE Institute

The Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation (RYTE Institute) at Montclair State University conducts interdisciplinary research, evaluation, and program design focused on understanding and strengthening the systems and settings in which people learn, develop, and thrive. Our work bridges developmental science and practice, with particular expertise in character development, education, positive youth development, and the design and evaluation of programs, initiatives, and organizations. We partner with researchers, practitioners, educators, organizations, and communities to generate knowledge that is both scientifically rigorous and useful for improving practice. At the center of all of our work is Relational Systems Practice, a character-minded approach to strategy, design, and evaluation in complex systems. Grounded in nearly two decades of work on relational systems approaches, RYTE brings together diverse perspectives and forms of expertise, attends to the relationships and contexts that shape development and change, and uses evidence and ongoing feedback to support learning and adaptation. Rather than treating research and evaluation as activities conducted on programs and communities, we work collaboratively with partners to understand complex systems, strengthen their capacity to learn from evidence, and create conditions that support meaningful and sustainable change. The RYTE Institute is co-directed by Dr. Jennifer Brown Urban and Dr. Miriam Linver, both Professors of Family Science and Human Development. Graduate and undergraduate research assistants in the RYTE Institute come from a variety of departments and disciplines including family science and human development, counseling, education, health and nutrition sciences, and psychology.