Advancing character education and Positive Youth Development in organizations that serve youth, families, and communities.

The Research and Design Center of

The Character Impact Lab is where organizations come to get character right — to define what it means in their world, build it into their programs, and see whether it's working.

We bring together Positive Youth Development, character education, and evaluation design so your approach is clear, practiced, and measurable — grounded in evidence, built for the field.

The Lab is the character home of Statement House, a full bench of cross-sector experts you can bring into your work.

About the lab

Character, Clearly: A Starter Guide

Free Download!

Where we go deep

  • Program & Framework Development

    We help organizations define their approach to character—what it means, how it’s practiced, and how it grows across experiences.

  • Outcomes & Assessment Design

    We design developmentally aligned measures that show growth in skills, mindsets, and relationships.

  • Standards & Practice Guides

    We translate research-based principles into clear, everyday practices for staff, mentors, and youth.

  • Staff Training & Capacity Building

    We strengthen teams through coaching, training, and implementation support that sustain high-quality character work.

Every engagement is scoped to your organization and delivered through Statement House, with the Lab's experts behind the work.

Select Partners

  • “Dr. Rollins was amazing to work with! She provided much needed thought partnership as the project hit some unexpected bumps and curves, helping us work through different shifts and strategies for how we could continue to learn and make the most of the project despite the challenges. Her team produced a tremendous report full of insights and recommendations that will help Playworks deepen our work in the youth development field for years to come.”

    Jennette Claassen
    National Director of Evaluation, Playworks

  • “Cristin is creative, wonderful to work with, and committed to excellence. Her knowledge of, commitment to, and leadership within, youth development guides her good work. In addition to all this, she's a joyful collaborator!”

    Pat Driscoll
    Former Chief Operating Officer, National Girls Serving Organization

  • “Dr. Rollins approaches her work as a critical friend so beautifully and so consistently. With empathy and thoughtfulness, and always in the spirit of the work, she pays attention to how what we are working on may have implications for other things that we might not be thinking of as well.”

    Omar Guessous
    National Director of Data & Insights, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

  • “[The Character Lab team] worked alongside AMIkids, Inc. to refresh our service delivery model with the latest PYD research to ensure its relevancy to today's youth, doing a tremendous job being a true thought partner and learning our organization to suggest the most effective way for change management. We look forward to a continued partnership and recommend Dr. Rollins to anyone looking for a subject matter expert who can take your organization to the next level, while honoring youth voice!”

    Dr. Jessica Mitchell
    Sr. Director of Data, Research, and Strategic Initiatives, AMIkids, Inc.

  • “Thank you for bringing your expertise and heart to a process that could help change the trajectory for so many... It has been a delight to work alongside all of you!”

    Margaret Mitchell
    CEO, YWCA USA

  • “I’m confident our organization will be equipped with a stronger outcomes measurement strategy because of their quick ability to get to the root challenge, invaluable knowledge and experience of what works, and an unmatched attention to detail.”

    Shawna Rosenzweig
    CEO, Camp Fire

Let’s Work together

The Character Impact Lab collaborates with organizations ready to invest in clarity, quality, and measurable impact. We’d love to learn about your programs and explore how a character framework can strengthen your results.

Book a Conversation