Students Examine How Racial and Ethnic Backgrounds of Teachers and Students Affect Classroom Relationships

student racial background

Laila Ibrahim and Amy Monroy are youth researchers involved in the Youth Action Researchers at the Intersection (YARI) project. They researched the question: How do the racial/ethnic backgrounds of teachers and students affect student-teacher relationships within the classroom? https://youtu.be/7Pxu0v6WTS0 Meet the Student Researchers Laila Ibrahim (she, her) Birthplace: Pasadena, CAFamily members: Parents and older sisterCurrent favorite book: A Brief… Read More ›

10 Drivers of Engagement You Can Use Right Now

Whether learning occurs in brick-and-mortar schools or in virtual environments, student engagement drives an impressive array of student outcomes. Eric Toshalis, Senior Director of Impact at KnowledgeWorks, uses research to present and explain ways educators can drive student engagement in their classrooms regardless of whether they are teaching virtually or in-person. Below is a list of resources… Read More ›

The Resources You Loved in 2020

2020

We can all agree 2020 was a difficult year. But it did bring many opportunities for change, and Students at the Center has been here to offer a guiding hand. We hope you’ve found at least one thing to help you build a more resilient, equitable future for your classrooms and schools. Here are your… Read More ›

Five Lessons the Pandemic Has Taught Us About Student Engagement

online engagement

The original design of the YARI Project aimed to support a cohort of youth researchers at the intersection — those who are from historically marginalized groups and who also possess learning differences — as they interrogate the education system from the perspective of their lived experiences. By supporting youth with principles of Universal Design for… Read More ›

Guidance on Culturally Responsive Remote Education

As millions of students across the United States transition into remote learning, now is the time to critically engage the systems we’ve set up to implement these online educational opportunities. Given how this pandemic is exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities in our communities, it’s critical that we establish systems capable of reducing rather than widening educational inequities. To… Read More ›

Researchers of Color Make All the Difference

researcher of color

Educators across the nation have noticed the success of youth mentoring programs that emphasize the need for mentors who share similar stories as the youth they work with. We at the Center for Youth and Community Leadership in Education (CYCLE) experienced it first-hand this year at the different Youth Action Researchers at the Intersection (YARI)… Read More ›

The Critical Importance of Youth-Led Research

youth researcher with colleagues

Youth-led research plays a critical role in advancing student-centered education. It provides the opportunity to elevate student voice and transform an inequitable education system. Research, at its most powerful, combines methodological rigor with the openness to inquire from our lived experiences. Inhabiting this vulnerable place is necessary to provoke us to venture into uncomfortable spaces… Read More ›

Three Lessons From New Hampshire’s Effort to Expand Deeper Learning

BEST_Photos_JFF_SocialStudiesInitiative_SouheganHS-29-scaled

In 2019, Aurora Institute released the new definition of competency-based learning. This seven-part definition was developed with extensive support from practitioners, researchers and leaders across the country. Image courtesy of Vander Els and Stack, 2019 This updated definition reflects a deeper understanding of key issues and developments in the field. This is certainly true for… Read More ›

A Roadmap for Student Self-Direction: Building Essential Skills for the Future

self-directed learning notebook

The BEST Self-Direction Toolkit is a collection of resources for teachers to use in the classroom for instruction and assessment that focuses on self-direction. The toolkit includes the self-direction rubric, self-direction activities and targeted resources for teachers. All tools are designed by teachers and tested in the classroom. Who is the toolkit for? It’s for… Read More ›