Our Study

The NYU Metro Center, Algorhythm, and Dr. Matthew Diemer, University of Michigan, are launching a research study to understand the trajectories of young people who participate in youth organizing (YO). We are partnering with four experienced YO groups with track records of developing strong leaders and winning real policy change – Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Communities United in Chicago, Make the Road New York, Philadelphia Student Union, and Providence Student Union.

This study will follow individual participants from their initial recruitment into YO over several years of participation in YO. We will use yearly surveys to track changes in developmental competencies (DC) and critical consciousness (CC) and will measure school engagement through individual school records including attendance, grades and course completion. DC are the “non-cognitive” or “socio-emotional” skills such as self-management skills and group decision making. CC is defined as “how oppressed or marginalized people learn to critically analyze their social conditions and act to change them.” We will also collect rich qualitative data on YO settings and young people’s experiences through observations, interviews and focus groups with YO participants, and interviews with YO group staff.

We will recruit a comparison group of young people who are similar to YO participants and participate in youth development settings other than YO. These activities work to foster DC among their participants, but don’t explicitly address CC. This comparison group will allow us to understand the role that CC plays in school engagement, and to understand how YO settings compare to more traditional youth development settings supporting DC.

Our Funder: The WIlliam T. Grant Foundation

The William T. Grant Foundation invests in high-quality research focused on reducing inequality and improving the use of research evidence in decisions that affect young people in the United States.