YPAR in Action: Raising Student Voice, Designing Research for Change.

We– a university researcher, a high school teacher, and two high school students—will share results from a qualitative inquiry that examined what happened when 100 9th graders participated in a year-long YPAR project as part of their school experience. All students were enrolled in the same public, non-selective high school in a mid-size Midwestern city. We share what was learned when we examined the design, implementation, and experience of the school’s YPAR curriculum. Attention is paid to the relationship between YPAR and literacy learning, the potential of YPAR to revitalize high school research, and the possibilities and limitations of YPAR in school. We will close with recommendations for schools interested in enacting YPAR. This inquiry asks: 1) What does it mean for teachers and youth when YPAR is integrated into the core curriculum?; 2) How do teachers navigate YPAR instruction? 3) What literacies are developed and what is learned in the process of engaging YPAR in school? 4) What are the limitations and possibilities of YPAR in school?