“A Place That’s Our Own”: Exploring a Free Space for Urban Youth

• In Event: Roundtable Session 62
  In Roundtable Session: Youth Work: Examining Empowered Spaces

Abstract

This study analyzes how a group of young people conceptualized their participation in a youth-led organization called the Youth Action Center (YAC). While participants felt criminalized or ignored in schools and on the streets, they considered YAC to be “a place that’s our own.” Specifically, they argued that YAC provided a space to seek refuge, build networks, and challenge the status quo. This study explores the kind of opportunities this organization made possible, and the meaning youth made of their experiences.

Author

• Cristen Jenkins, Northeastern Illinois University