Voices of Tomorrow: Cultivating Critical Hope Through Youth Participatory Action Research

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Creative and Critical Approaches in Youth Participatory Action Research

Abstract

Grounded in critical hope theory (Duncan-Andrade, 2009; Freire, 1994), this paper examines the experiences of student-researchers engaged in a seven-month Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project at an urban charter middle school. Youth researchers investigated their school’s advisory class by conducting interviews, collecting artifacts, and observing classes, then collaboratively analyzed the data. In parallel, the principal investigator documented students’ YPAR experiences through memos, field notes, artifacts, and exit interviews. Findings show that students developed a strong sense of ownership, gained empathy for teachers, and were motivated to make change. This paper proposes that YPAR can cultivate critical hope by fostering agency, shared vulnerability, and intergenerational solidarity — conditions essential for sustaining justice-focused work in schools.

Author

• Seth Hull