Youth in Action Program Showcases Youths’ Research at Sixth Annual Campus Event

Under the guidance of the Graduate School of Education’s (GSE) Urban Teaching Fellows, K-12 students from seven schools in New Brunswick, East Orange, Franklin, and Perth Amboy presented findings from their research projects at the sixth annual Youth in Action presentation on May 5, 2015 at the Livingston Student Center. The Urban Teaching Fellows have been working with these students during an innovative after-school program to help them learn research techniques, conduct research on a unique topic of their choosing, and present their work to peers, teachers, friends, and family.


Youth in Action Program

The Youth Participatory Action Research program promotes student engagement through participation in original research on issues and problems that are affecting their communities and are of concern to them. Beginning in February, the Urban Teaching Fellows taught the students the fundamentals of identifying an issue or problem, formulating a research question, collecting and evaluating data, and drawing conclusions. The students researched and presented on issues including cyber bullying, preparation for life after high school, littering, the quality of school lunches, how students can have their school’s voice be heard, and how cultural diversity among students affects socialization.

The Urban Teaching Fellows are equipped to help their students tackle these issues through a seminar run by Dr. Thea Abu Del-Haj, where they learn how to plan and conduct “participatory action research” within urban schools. Fellows met with students to introduce research methodology, encourage individual capacity and contribution, promote collective student engagement, and guide preparation for final presentations.

The Urban Teaching Fellows Program is a specialized program that focuses on bringing exceptional educators into urban schools by fostering engaged teaching and learning, strong mentoring relationships, and critical inquiry among youth and teachers. The Urban Teaching Fellows Program turns the traditional one-semester teaching internship into a three semester teaching residency in urban districts for GSE Teacher Education Students.

 

To learn more about the Urban Teaching Fellows Program, please click here.

To View photographs from the event, please click here.