Supporting Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and Community-Engaged Research (YEDI Affiliated)
Emily Ozer, Professor
Public Health
Applications for Fall 2025 are closed for this project.
The Ozer lab works on multiple projects focused on community-engaged and participatory research approaches, such as: Research-practice partnerships (RPP); Community-based participatory research (CBPR); Youth-led participatory action research (YPAR). YPAR is an innovative approach for promoting social change and positive youth development in which youth conduct systematic research and actions to improve their schools and communities (Ozer et al., 2020).
Our focus of projects include:
1) Integrating youth voice and Youth-Led Participatory Action Research into school/district decision-making processes
2) Strengthening the conditions at UC Berkeley for supporting community-engaged research.
3) Sustaining our YPAR network and providing YPAR capacity-building resources and technical assistance to our YPAR partners and sustain our YPAR network
We are recruiting undergrad apprentices to assist with the focus areas listed above.
For Focus #1, undergrad research apprentices will support YPAR efforts within San Francisco Unified School District (and potentially other districts) to integrate YPAR evidence in school/district decision-making processes.
For Focus #2, undergrad research apprentices will support efforts to capture the landscape of community-engaged research projects at UC Berkeley. The undergrad will also engage in research synthesis, communication, and dissemination (specifically developing products like web pages to communicate the findings and impact of community-engaged research).
For Focus #3, undergrad research apprentices will support our network of YPAR researchers and practitioners by developing and providing feedback on key research dissemination processes and products.
We are looking for undergrads who will be able to contribute to one or more of the focus areas above. Preferred skills for each focus area are outlined below.
**IN YOUR APPLICATION PLEASE INDICATE WHICH FOCUS AREAS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO**
Role: For Focus Area #1,
--Undergrad researchers will learn YPAR critical concepts and implementation strategies
--Undergrad researchers will develop and facilitate YPAR workshops (must have flexibility to facilitate in-person workshops in San Francisco Unified schools)
--Undergrad researchers will gain knowledge/experience on qualitative and quantitative research methods
--Undergrad researchers will gain professional and networking experience from attending weekly lab group meetings and meetings/events with school district staff
For Focus Area #2,
--Undergrad researchers will support efforts to expand and strengthen a network of community-engaged researchers at UC Berkeley through communications, newsletters, and in-person events.
--Undergrad researchers will support efforts to capture the landscape of community-engaged research projects at UC Berkeley
--Undergrad will engage in research synthesis and dissemination (specifically developing products like web pages to communicate the findings and impact of community-engaged research)
--Undergrad researchers will learn critical concepts related to community-engaged research
--Undergrad researchers will engage in supporting meeting documentation and project administrative tasks.
For Focus Area #3
--Undergrad researchers will learn YPAR critical concepts
--Undergrad researchers will gain professional and networking experience from attending weekly lab group meetings and meetings/events with YPAR network members
--Undergrad will engage in research synthesis and dissemination (specifically developing products like web pages to communicate the findings and impact of community-engaged research)
--Undergrad researchers will engage in supporting meeting documentation and project administrative tasks
Qualifications: Attendance at weekly in-person 1.5 hour lab meeting on Mondays from 1:30-3:00pm is REQUIRED
Basic skills in graphic design and/or website development preferred, but not required (especially desired for Focus Area 2,3)
Experience with writing and synthesizing multiple points of information is desired but not essential (applicable to Focus Area 1-3)
Experience developing communication products (flyers, slides, etc.) is preferred (especially for Focus Area 2,3)
Desire to understand broader project goals and objectives
Interest or experience working with youth in education settings or youth community-based organizations highly preferred, but not required
Flexibility to facilitate in-person YPAR workshops in San Francisco Unified schools is highly preferred, but not required (especially for Focus Area 1)
Knowledge or interest in YPAR, public health, and educational equity highly preferred, but not required
Commit at least 2-3 units (6-8 hours for 2 units and 9-11 hours for 3 units) is preferred
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If you are selected for this research project, you will also be invited to join the Youth Equity Discovery Initiative (YEDI) Program, a research mentorship program that aims to build supportive pathways into research careers, service, and leadership addressing adolescent wellbeing. The year-long program provides weekly skill-building workshops, cascading mentorship, and professional development training to a cohort of 20-30 undergraduate scholars working on faculty-led youth equity research projects (like this one). Past scholars have benefitted from YEDI’s mentorship and professional development opportunities (including faculty and graduate student speakers). The program culminates in an end-of-year research poster symposium.
The 2025-2026 YEDI cohort will meet in BOTH fall and spring. For the Fall, the workshops will take place on Tuesdays, 2:00pm-3:30pm starting September 30th. In order to take part in the YEDI program, you MUST be able to attend the workshops at this time. As a YEDI scholar, you will sign up for a PH198 class and receive 1 unit. This is in addition to the units you receive for your URAP research project. For any questions about YEDI, please contact YEDI’s Director Marieka Schotland (mschotland@berkeley.edu) or visit our website here:https://i4y.berkeley.edu/youth-equity-discovery-initiative-yedi-program
***Participation in the YEDI Program is not required for this research project, but is strongly encouraged.***
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Brian Villa, Post-Doc
Hours: 9-11 hrs
Related website: https://i4y.berkeley.edu/school-and-district-partnerships
Social Sciences Education, Cognition & Psychology Biological & Health Sciences