YoUthROC: Advancing Youth Participatory Action Research Through Youth Leadership and Community Knowledge

YoUthROC is a community and University-connected youth research program dedicated to advancing Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and promoting principles of youth leadership, kinship, and justice in education. YoUthROC is an affiliate program to the University of Minnesota’s Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Founded in 2018, this program seeks to establish and sustain partnerships that value youth expertise and community knowledge. YoUthROC centers Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth and other historically marginalized communities. The program aims to provide support and training for anti-racist, justice-oriented youth research through culturally responsive research. 

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

Central to the work of YoUthROC, Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is a community-based, social justice-oriented research approach that centers the leadership, lived experiences, and knowledge of young people, particularly those most affected by systemic inequities. YPAR challenges conventional research paradigms by positioning youth as collaborative researchers rather than passive subjects. Through YPAR, young people work collectively to examine and change issues impacting their lives, communities, and the institutions intended to serve them. 

Invitation to Participate

In the context of evolving social, political, and educational landscapes, YoUthROC invites community members and local organizations to participate in a Community Needs Assessment (CNA). It is designed to facilitate connection, identify shared priorities, and explore opportunities for meaningful collaboration that support youth and community-centered research initiatives, to inform the program’s strategic direction and partnership development. Information collected through the CNA will be shared internally within YoUthROC and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to inform future programming and partnerships. YoUthROC director Abby Rombalski, Ph.D., program coordinator Ali Alowonle, and CNA intern Ndunzi Kunsunga look forward to hearing from you!