YOUTH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH (YPAR)
A program designed to train youth as researchers and policy makers around issues that directly impact their lives. This program culminates with a policy roundtable where the youth researchers share their findings with elected officials as well as other stakeholders, proposing policy changes and program funding initiatives.=
CASE STUDY
From September - December of 2023, the youth research team learned about survey design, focus groups, and arts-based ways to collect data that closely reflect youth culture. Since January 2024, they have engaged over 350+ NYC youth from ages 11-21 through in an anonymous survey (263 responses as of 4/25/2024) and through in-person events where 130+ youth partook in arts-based YPAR methodologies such as:
Focus group podcasts: youth researchers interviewed participants on their lived experiences as well as aspirations for safety and belonging based on prompts such as: “What does a healthy school culture look like” and “what do you wish your school had that would make you feel safer?”
Vision boarding collaging: participants created vision boards using stickers, magazines, markers and crayons based on prompts such as “what is your vision for a school where you belong and feel safe?”
Freedom dreaming art walls: participants created collaborative murals based on Robin D Kelly’s concept of visualizing new ways so that we know what to build towards”.
Photovoice: participants created images (selfies and group photos) based on our research questions
Button/pins/friendship bracelet circles: participants created wearables that represent the conversations they took part in on our research questions
A video by Circle Keepers youth summarizing their YPAR experience!
Click through the galleries below to see photos of our events and also worksheets!
