YPAR: Youth Participatory Action Research
In this video, we promote YPAR by interviewing Project Manager, Michael Durrett, as he navigates the importance of the program and how it reflects in the community. We also interview, Dean Tambra Jackson, as she is the Principal Investigator of the grant of which YPAR is involved in. She describes the need for the program and how it can strengthen the community and the students it serves.
YPAR is an innovative approach to positive youth and community development in which young people are trained to conduct systematic research to improve their lives, their communities, and the institutions intended to serve them. This website will help guide you along the way: reflecting on your group’s capacity to engage in YPAR, forming a team, planning your YPAR project, and using the findings to advocate for change in your community. With YPAR, young people are the researchers and changemakers. YPAR builds skill development among youth in inquiry, evidence, and presentation. Most importantly, YPAR is action-oriented. It results in research findings that can illuminate the issues and solutions that are important to young people.