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Youth Engagement

Promote supportive learning environments with authentic youth engagement.

Young people learn and grow in spaces where they feel seen, connected, and heard. We cultivate these environments by building relationships, sharing decision making, and working side by side with young people. Our experienced researchers and practitioners can help you design and evaluate programs, systems, and policies that engage and support youth in schools or community-based programs, like after-school or mentoring. We translate the latest research on adolescent development into practical strategies that take a whole-person approach, build on youth strengths, and uplift youth voice. Together, we can create engaging, empowering, and meaningful opportunities for young people to thrive.

Specialties

  • Training and professional development on asset-based and responsive practices to build positive relationships with and among youth
  • Co-design of logic models and theories of change for programs and systems
  • Evaluation of school or community-based programs, including youth participatory methods
  • Development and evaluation of policy and systems initiatives related to out-of-school time, school climate, safety and discipline, youth reengagement, and alternative learning environments

Featured Work

person reading a book

Applied Research

Scanning the Landscape of High School Alternatives

three students who just graduated

Evaluation

What Works in Reengaging Young Adults

illustration of robot and two students

Applied Research

Scaling Out-of-School Time STEM Programming: A National Scan

Our Experts

  • Ashlie Denton
    Ashlie Denton

    Managing Researcher

  • Marbella Uriostegui
    Marbella Uriostegui

    Senior Researcher

  • Vicki Nishioka
    Vicki Nishioka

    Leader

  • Grace Gowdy
    Grace Gowdy

    Senior Researcher

  • Rachel Maller
    Rachel Maller

    Researcher

  • Julie Petrokubi
    Julie Petrokubi

    Managing Researcher

Building a clear path toward better education for all, together

PARTNER WITH US

Youth Engagement Insights & Resources

  • two adults talking

    What Informal Mentors Can Teach Us About Effective Mentoring

    Researcher Grace Gowdy explores how informal mentoring relationships offer important lessons about promoting equity and youth voice.

  • hands opening up to the world

    Promising Practices to Support Young Immigrants’ Education and Career Pathways

    This guide outlines asset-based, culturally and linguistically responsive practices for engaging young immigrants and connecting them to education and career resources.

  • zoom screenshots of teachers communicating

    Lessons for the Education System from Youth Reengagement Programs

    In the United States today, more than four million young adults have disengaged from the K–12 education system without graduating or entering the workforce.

  • four students learning

    Youth Mentoring Program Planning and Design Resources

    The following resources for planning, designing, and implementing a youth mentoring program were developed by our National Mentoring Center project.

  • student presenting in front of a classroom

    It’s On Adults to Make Space for Youth Voice

    It’s past time that adults take action to promote youth voice. Here are some ways to get started.

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