The YMCA of the USA has announced a $20 million grant from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation to establish an institute that will identify and disseminate best practices aimed at positively impacting the character development of millions of American youth.

The Y's Character Development Learning Institute will work to advance the organization's character development efforts through a collaborative process of verifying, adapting, scaling, and sharing evidence-based best practices. The grant from the foundation will support the initiative's initial four-year launch phase, creating a comprehensive framework upon which to reinforce the Y's well-established youth character development work. To that end, the institute will provide the training, tools, and knowledge necessary to implement character development practices that can lead youth to make positive gains in school and in life.

"We are both humbled and overjoyed by the generosity of the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and are determined to make the CDLI a world-class incubator for best practices in character development," said Bela Moté, vice president of the Y's Evidence-Based Youth Development Interventions and national director of its Character Development division. "The CDLI defines youth character development as the process through which youth develop and integrate a set of values, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that allow them to navigate successfully and responsibly in learning, work, and life. We're excited to begin our work to make this a reality and engender a lifetime of personal and professional growth for our program participants."