"A Place That's Our Own": Youth Organizing for Educational Justice

• In Event: 60.084 - Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: 60.084-19 - Justice Through Collaboration: Foregrounding Youth Voice and Experience in Out-of-School Time Settings

Abstract

Using qualitative data collected from a youth-led organization, this study examines how a group of young people developed relationships, explored identities and organized for educational justice. Although they felt devalued in society and excluded from public life, these youth called the center “a place that’s our own.” I argue that this space provides insight into how young people come together to address inequities in their lives and to imagine radical alternatives. My analysis points to the democratic possibilities and limitations of “free spaces” for urban youth. In the context of a growing assault on young people, my findings highlight the need to support youth organizations that develop individual and collective wellness.

Author

• Cristen Jenkins, Northeastern Illinois University