This issue explores the phenomenon of engagement in adolescence and early adulthood. The authors of this volume draw on the Good Work Project and the Alfred P. Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development, two studies using complementary methodologies, in-depth interviews, and self-reports of subjective experience in daily life. They examine why young people are drawn to certain areas of work and, once there, what sustains them. A supportive family background, mentors or role models, involvement in cooperative activities, cultivation of intrinsic interest, awareness of moral and political issues, and traits such as moral sensitivity and optimism are among the central factors that the authors explore. The better these factors are understood, the more effectively we can support youth engagement.

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