2 of 11

THE YOUTH ORGANIZING TRAJECTORIES STUDY

How does participating in youth organizing support critical consciousness, socio-emotional skills, and school engagement among youth of color?

Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

Communities for a Better Environment

Communities United

Make the Road New York

Make the Road New Jersey

Philadelphia Student Union

Dr. Matt Diemer and the AC²ME Lab

Hello Insight / Algorhythm

With the generous support of the William T. Grant Foundation

3 of 11

Themes from 36 interviews with 25 youth organizing participants who completed high school during the study

19 Latinx, 5 Black, 2 Biracial, 1 white

20 women, 4 men, 1 NB

Majority attend public 4-year colleges, followed by private 4-year and dual-enrolled public 2-year/4-year

Mix of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Primarily White Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and diverse institutions

4 of 11

“We argue that for SEL to adequately serve those from underserved communities—and promote the optimal developmental outcomes for all children, youth and adults—it must cultivate in them the knowledge, attitudes and skills required for critical examination and collaborative action to address the root causes of inequalities.”

Jagers, Rivas-Drake, and Williams (2019). Transformative socio-emotional learning (SEL): Toward SEL in service of educational excellence and equity.

5 of 11

Youth organizing settings prioritize youth ownership, collaborative decision-making and distributed leadership.

Participants who reported that they often or always:
...worked with a group or team to solve problems or complete a project.	80%
...helped create plans to complete group goals or projects.	73%
...participated in meetings to help make decisions.	66%
...helped with outreach to get other youth involved.	59%
...played a role in leading the organization.	45%
...planned and/or facilitated meetings	34%
N=180

6 of 11

FINDING #1

YOUTH ORGANIZING STRENGTHENED ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AND ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT.

7 of 11

FINDING #2

YOUTH ORGANIZING ALUMNI DEVELOPED RELATIONAL AND NETWORKING SKILLS THAT FACILITATED THEIR ADJUSTMENT TO COLLEGE LIFE.

8 of 11

FINDING #3

YOUTH ORGANIZING ALUMNI DEVELOPED SELF-MANAGEMENT AND CRITICAL NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS THAT HELPED THEM PERSEVERE IN CULTURALLY INCONGRUENT SPACES.

9 of 11

FINDING #4

YOUTH ORGANIZING ALUMNI USED ORGANIZING SKILLS TO RESIST INJUSTICE AND TRANSFORM THEIR COLLEGE COMMUNITIES.

10 of 11

IMPLICATIONS FOR ACTION

FOR POLICYMAKERS AND FUNDERS

Expand college readiness frameworks to reflect transformative SEL skills, emphasizing critical consciousness.

Prioritize youth organizing and other approaches – including ethnic studies, action civics, and YPAR – that support critical consciousness development.

Elevate youth organizing and similar experiences in admissions decisions.

Prioritize counter-spaces as important resources for retaining and nurturing BIPOC students and ensure they receive robust institutional support.

FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

11 of 11

JASMINE CEVALLOS�Alumni of Brighton Park Neighborhood Council�U. C. Berkeley student��TONY RUIZ�Loyola University Chicago student��DAYANA ORTEGA�Member of Youth for Environmental Justice / Communities for a Better Environment�U. C. Irvine student��ZULEIMA DOMINGUEZ�Alumni & Organizer, Make the Road New York �Youth Power Project / Urban Youth Collaborative�Hunter College CUNY graduate