What If We Made Room for Young People?

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Too often, communities—particularly communities of color—are epicenters for university research. While it is true that these communities have deep insights and unique lived experiences from which we should all learn, research in these spaces is often transactional and harmful. When university experts come in seeking data alone, the community often has limited agency and opportunity for equitable partnership. Historically, these practices have created mistrust between community members and institutions.

Keywords:

• High School
• Informal Education
• Citizen Science
• Environmental Science
• Equity
• STEM

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Denise Jones

Denise Jones ([email protected]) is a second-year doctoral student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan interested contextual and environmental factors that influence adolescents’ transitions into adulthood and post-secondary opportunities. She is also curious about young people’s out-of-school learning experiences and how they leverage them for the future.