The concept of youth as resources, developed by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), was first tested in Teens as Community Resources in Boston in 1986, thanks to a grant from the Boston Foundation. In 1987, with a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc., NCPC piloted the Youth as Resources program model in three Indiana communities. Within a few years, the YAR model spread far beyond Indiana's borders. In 1995, NCPC, again with support from the Lilly Endowment Inc., established the Center for Youth as Resources (CYAR), as a separately incorporated organization.