The Teen Opinion Poll - Arizona (TOP-AZ) represents a process used by Arizona Cooperative Extension to help communities strengthen positive youth development by listening to and addressing the needs of young people. This process is based upon a community empowerment model of teen assessment. This model considers community members, rather than university researchers, to be the true "experts" of their own community's strengths and limitations regarding youth development.

Within this model of community empowerment, the role of the university is to assist communities in identifying  these strengths and limitations. Specifically, representatives from the community and university work together to adapt the TOP-AZ youth survey to meet each community's particular needs. Results of the survey are used to identify risk factors that may impede healthy development for youth, and protective factors that help youth be resilient.

TOP-AZ was first implemented in an Arizona community in 1994. Since that time, communities in 10 out of 15 counties in Arizona have participated in the project. Over 17,000 youth have participated. Several of the communities have participated in TOP-AZ two or more times. All of these communities have demonstrated a commitment to youth. They have taken an active step toward improving the lives of youth, by using the results of the survey to inform planning decisions regarding services that strengthen children, families and neighborhoods.