WELCOME TO ONSITE-INSIGHTS

Cindy Carlson, co-founder and principal officer of Onsite-Insights, has 28 years experience in the field of youth development. For the past fifteen years she has directed the Hampton Coalition for Youth, the long-range planning and development department for youth services in the City of Hampton, Viginia. As a department head within city government, she is responsible for Hampton's youth agenda, bringing together thousands of youth and adult citizens to address issues related to youth.

Ms. Carlson is responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the City's Mobilization for Youth, a community-wide initiative to support the healthy development of all young people. Hampton's mobilization, based on the framework of Developmental Assets, was the 2001 recipient of the "Our Town Award" given by Jostens Foundation and Search Institute. In 1998, Ms. Carlson developed the Hampton Youth Commission, and under her leadership it has become one of the premier youth commissions in the country. Because of the success of the mobilization and the entire youth civic engagement system, Hampton was awarded the 2005 Innovations in American Government award, and Ms. Carlson has become a sought after speaker and consultant by other communities interested in this approach.

An early background in education prepared Ms. Carlson to excel as a teacher, trainer and facilitator. She has served as a trainer for the Virginia Department of Mental Health and has conducted hundreds of workshops on youth-related issues throughout the commonwealth and the nation. Prior to her work in city government, she spent 17 years overseeing the prevention, intervention and education services of Alternatives, Inc. There, she helped to create a comprehensive school and community-based collaborative that served as a national model.

As a free-lance writer, Ms. Carlson contributed to a biweekly column on youth development in the local newspaper, the Daily Press. She is also author of numerous articles, training curricula, and a manual on how to establish a successful youth commission. She is also a consultant to the National League of Cities, Institute for Youth, Education and Families and a member of Search Institute's Training team.