What happens after young people leave religious institutions?

When it comes to religious affiliation, it can be easy to assume a sharp divide: people are either religious and connected to a religious community or they are non-religious and not connected at all. But what about those who leave a religious community—how do they differ from those who have

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Serving with Purpose

Join Springtide and SAP for Serving with Purpose!

Next month, join us as we reveal new research on how faith and service connect for young people  Serving with Purpose: Connections between Young People’s Faith and Volunteer Efforts, a free 60-minute webinar and Q&A session, shares what Springtide Research Institute learned from recent research on faith and service, including

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How do sports play into young people’s religious involvement?

Springtide’s 2025 survey of 2,977 young people shows that 25% of young people, ages 13-25, participate in a sport-related group, club, or activity. This quarter of young people attend religious services more frequently, are more likely to be part of a religious community, and report higher levels of religiosity than

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What Latina/o Students Need to Thrive in Their Faith Lives

What do Latina/o students need to grow spiritually?  Springtide sought to explore this question with the PASOS Network, a group of universities focused on culturally responsive ministry in higher education. The Springtide team surveyed and/or interviewed students at Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institutions as well as campus ministers serving students at these

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Do young people experience sacred moments?

Springtide Research Institute asked 4,546 young people, ages 13-25, about sacred moments, defined as “those things, places, or moments that feel special and set apart from others—experiences that evoke a sense of wonder, awe, gratitude, deep truth, and/or interconnectedness.” The data reveal that the majority of teens and young adults

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13 to 25

Introducing 13 to 25: Research and Conversation

Through nine seasons of The Voices of Young People Podcast, young people have described their perceptions of and experiences with religion and spirituality, mental health, politics and more. Now we’re evolving our podcast to offer even more insights into the lives of young people. The Voices of Young People Podcast

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A Religious Snapshot of US Latina/o Youth

Latina/o youth represent a significant portion of the overall population of young people in the US. In fact, data from the US Census Bureau show that 1 in 4 children in the US today is Latina/o.1 While Latina/o immigrants in the US have historically identified as Catholic, religious affiliation tends

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Do teens’ religious beliefs and practices differ between genders?

Springtide’s recent research finds several small differences between young men and women, ages 18-25, when it comes to their religious affiliation, service attendance, and self-described religiousness. The same study finds even fewer gender differences for teens, ages 13-17. While small differences emerge in self-reported spirituality, there are no further differences

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What Young People Want From Youth Ministry

For the past two years, the Springtide team has interviewed and surveyed young people and adults to discover how faith-based organizations are working to engage Gen Z. This research, funded in part by Lilly Endowment Inc., shows what young people want from youth ministry. Behaviors young people want from youth

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