Youth Participatory Action Research

We know that youth are more likely to engage in their learning process when they are given a voice in directing the content of their learning. We also know that many youth do not see themselves as civic leaders, especially since the pathways for engagement are not always clear. Yet, youth perspectives are essential to the growth of all communities. Building on the success of the 2020-21 Youth Participatory Action Research project, this proposal offers school-based YPAR as a way to engage youth in their education and local communities. Existing scholarship and last year’s project document the value of YPAR for civic engagement, research skills, and youth voice. YPAR confronts disengagement by inviting students to conduct original research around topics they identify as important in/to/for their communities. Instead of being positioned as “a problem,” youth are change agents. YPAR is recognized as a strong way to increase youth engagement, yet are few examples of school-based YPAR.