Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) empowers young people to explore pressing issues impacting their communities/schools and respond by implementing sustainable change.
Youth will take action, start dialogues, organize and mobilize alongside a team of
young activists, learning how to conduct research, lead campaigns, and make a difference.
We follow the YPAR model explained below:
PARTICIPATORY: All participants, including community members, are seen as contributors of knowledge and experiences.
ACTION: The goal is to use research to develop a plan of action toward addressing a problem in the community.
RESEARCH: A systematic investigation or assessment of a problem facing the community. It centers community strengths, narratives, and knowledge.
As they develop the language and framing to share their experiences and confront damaging policies, systems, and environments, youth develop the tools to become powerful advocates for themselves and their communities. Youth will be able to apply their skills of analysis via health and social justice issues, and their identity, professional, and academic development, to other projects in their personal and professional lives.
This past YPAR youth cohort focused on the mental wellness of young people attending SF high schools. Our young people conducted research on how COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of students. Based on our results, our youth decided to implement mental health clubs at their respective high schools in order to provide resources and wellness activities for their fellow peers.
Interested in joining?
The program is open to all high school age (14-18) youth in San Francisco. Programming and recruitment will not begin until Fall of 2022. We will update this page when we have more specific information.