What is YPAR?
Youth-led Participatory Action Research – A tool where youth become researchers and are empowered as leaders and changemakers in their schools.
Build a Trusting Community
This process should never be overlooked. Through the use of Restorative Circles, games and identity work we solidify the youth-adult partnership model and continue to build this trust throughout the entire process.
Data Collection and Analysis
Youth collect both quantitative and qualitative data, design surveys, analyze trends, code data, interview stakeholders and use the data to convince people in power that their problem statements are real and need attention.
This data is from the HMS YPAR 2026 Survey of 274 students. This group wants to encourage educators to integrate disability education into the humanities curriculum.
Learning, Experiences and Leadership Training
Social Justice Education and Critical Consciousness are integral parts of YPAR work. Exploring themes of identity, power and oppression help orient young learners about disparities, systemic racism and ongoing issues in education. Leadership skills are developed as they design and produce public speaking presentations, mentor younger students and learn restorative circle keeping skills. In SY25-26 YPAR leaders designed projects on Hispanic Heritage, rehearsed and performed Ruby Bridges Reader’s Theater for Smith Elementary School, created a public speaking presentation for the HMS student body on Ruby Bridges, attended VAMLE, Education Justice Statewide Youth Organizing Gathering and a EMS/HMS YPAR retreat.
SY 25-26 YPAR Projects
Anti-Cussing Have you noticed a change in appropriate language in the hallways at school? This group has explored school based data by walking the hallways with notebooks to tally the amounts of swearing they have heard. They view themselves as the “umbrella” of all issues since they have noted that inappropriate language often crosses the lines of harassment. They are working on developing an awareness campaign that encourages kinder language with PSAs and postering.
Ableism and Disability Awareness Did you know that over 50% of the HMS student body has not learned about ableism? This group is working on developing a set of lesson plans to be shared with teachers in order to kick off a disability awareness week and encourage open conversation about disabilities at school.
Sexism and Sexual Harassment Middle school data shows increased body shaming comments and extreme incidents of sexual harassment. This group wants to develop an awareness campaign to educate the public about the negative affects of sexual harassment and sexism.Antiracism This group is focused on student-to-student racist comments and jokes and developing a student assembly to spread awareness.
Antiracism This group is focused on student-to-student racist comments and jokes and are working on developing a PSA to spread awareness and traveling to EMS to address the student body in an assembly.,
