Involving youth as active participants in research empowers them to find solutions to society’s problems. Through this process, young people transform from being perceived as passive or accepting youth to active, engaged, responsible citizens, building their capacity for active citizenship. Engaging in research also allows young people to build mutually liberatory partnerships that equalize relations between youth and adults. A framework used to engage youth as researchers is called Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). YPAR enables students to apply a critical lens to their environments, which helps them uncover truths behind structural exploitation, oppression, and opportunities for resistance. The “praxis” component of YPAR calls young people to act along with their adult allies to redress systemic issues impacting their community. This research framework is particularly salient after young people experienced isolation and learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel introduces the components of YPAR and brings in perspectives from students who have participated in a summer YPAR program at Merrimack College.

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