Empowerment as Prevention: How Youth-Driven Initiatives Transform Frameworks for Change

Empowerment as Prevention: How Youth-Driven Initiatives Transform Frameworks for Change

Youth-led action research has significantly influenced local and statewide policies aimed at supporting students experiencing homelessness in California. This study employs a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methodology, summarizing five years of research conducted by high school student cohorts and UC Berkeley graduate students to examine effective strategies for preventing and addressing student homelessness. The…

thumbnail for "Defense of Learning: A Community of Practice Model to Advance Equity, Access, and Social Justice in Sacramento CUSD"

Defense of Learning: A Community of Practice Model to Advance Equity, Access, and Social Justice in Sacramento CUSD

Sacramento City Unified School District’s (SCUSD) college and career readiness initiatives, as cited in the 2016-2021 Strategic Plan, only equip students with half of the skills and requirements necessary for graduates to succeed in their post-secondary options (Conley, 2012). Namely, SCUSD fails to assess critical soft skills, such as perseverance, growth mindsets, goal-setting, collaboration, etc.,…

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Exploring the concept of “resilience” …

In response to rapidly changing environmental and political climates around the world, governing agencies are grappling with the notion of resilience. How can communities continue to thrive with chronic and acute threats such as sea level rise, drought, fire, growing inequality, and unaffordable housing? Community engagement is often sought by governing agencies in determining answers…

Thumbnail for "BluePrints for Hope: Engaging Children as Critical Actors in Urban Place Making "

BluePrints for Hope: Engaging Children as Critical Actors in Urban Place Making 

Third- and fourth-grade elementary school students have been contributing their ideas to the redevelopment of their community in San Francisco, using a methodology known as Y-PLAN (Youth-PlanLearn-Act, Now!). This article explains the process and describes the ideas the children have come up with – and how key areas and insights are being incorporated into the…

Thumbnail for "Social Enterprise for Learning: A Replicable Model of Service Learning and Civic Engagement"

Social Enterprise for Learning: A Replicable Model of Service Learning and Civic Engagement

Many schools offer service learning—community service linked to classroom studies—to help students become more effective participants in a democratic society. Different forms of service learning combine various amounts of discussion and analysis of social issues with engagement in activities that have real impact outside the classroom. What we call “Social Enterprise for Learning,” or SEfL,…

Thumbnail for "Making Youth Perspectives Count Beyond an Educational Exercise (Estuary News)"

Making Youth Perspectives Count Beyond an Educational Exercise (Estuary News)

Estuary News Magazine wrote an article about the partnership between Y-PLAN and RbD focusing on the agency students gain through the Y-PLAN process. They argue that Y-PLAN encourages city officials to actively engage youth in the planning process by being intentional about including youth and not just setting up programs that are marginal to the…

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