Each READY team includes 4 to 6 youth researchers and is led by one or more education researchers. Members of a participating team may collaborate on a single project, or work independently on multiple projects. To learn more about a team’s project(s) please click on the project name.
2025 Teams 2024 Teams* 2023 Teams*
*These teams were a part of the READY pilot known as Youth Teams in Education Research (YTER) YTER teams included up to 8 youth researchers.
Black Girlhood Collaborative Youth Team Team Leaders: Taryrn Brown, Sophia De La Cruz, and Kenesma John (University of Florida) Youth Presenters: Kayleigh Alotch, Jaleah Brown, Jalexi Reed, K’haManni Smith, and J’Nelle Westersea Projects: Black Girlhood in Education: Joy and Wellbeing
Full STEAM Ahead Team Leader: Amanda Case (University of Iowa) Youth Presenters: Jamarion Berry, Keenan Cain Garrett Simmons, Jr. and Aleena Watson Projects: Full STEAM Ahead: Youth Researchers Capturing Youth Voice
Instituto Students Elevating Logros Team Leader: Joanna Maravilla (Lewis University) Youth Presenters: Martin Hernandez, Yuceslimar Marquez, Alondra Mejia, Brenda Rivera, and Yohana Rivera Projects: Voces de Raz贸n y Resistencia: Chicago Migrant Youth Enacting Participatory Action in Contested Times
The Localized History Project, AAARI@CUNY Team Leader: Shreya Sunderram (AAARI @ CUNY) Youth Presenters: Amy Feng, Violet Kim, Jessica Ong, Subah Sumaiiyat, and Ravi Vora Projects: The Localized History Project: Youth Driven AANHP Curriculum for NY State
Lompoc Youth Action Research Team Team Leader: Hui-Ling Malone (University of California Santa Barbara) Youth Presenters: Sophia Austin, Ameeya Dalmida, Jasmyn Hughes, and Madison Turner Projects: Using Our Voice through Photos: Confronting Anti-Blackness through Action Research
Relatable Xcholars Team Leaders: Yejun Bae (Appalachian State University) and Seongeun Kim (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) Youth Presenters: Laela Anderson, Soyeon Park, Hannah Pfab, and Eleanor Walz Projects: Inside Out Ourselves: High School Voices and National Trends on Anxiety, Belonging, and Academic Lives
Asian American Students Disrupting Truth (AASDT) Team Leaders: Eun Bee Ellin Kim (Teachers College, Columbia University) Youth Presenters: Edeline Jung, Catherine Lee, Isaiah Lee, Caryn Seulah Cho, and Ethan Yeung Projects: Disrupting Monoculturalism in U.S. School Curricula
Caminos de Biling眉ismo Team Leaders: Laura Meinzen, Deborah Palmer (University of Colorado, Boulder) & Michelle Valladares (National Education Policy Center) Youth Researchers: Yadira Campos Lopez, Hamilton Dunn, Reese Furman, Vida Loeb, Damian Luna, Patrick Martin, Grayson Tate & Lilli Thoresen Projects: Caminos de Biling眉ismo: Co-designing and co-conducting research on high school biliteracy pathways
CARE Initiative Team Leaders: Gerald Campano (University of Pennsylvania) and Maria Paula Ghiso (Teachers College, Columbia University) Youth Presenters: Faustine Gultom, Andrea Jasmine Lie, Sophia Lauwidjaja, and Summer Sykes Projects: Examining and Transforming Education through Critical Arts-Based Research
Center for Youth Equity Team Leaders: Rae Stevenson & Micaiah Lugo (Tulane University) Youth Researchers: Tia Augustin, Jonta Gumms, Shine Holmes, and Amil Risin Projects: "Twisted Garden": Cultivating Change in the New Orleans Education Landscape, Unearthing Root Causes: Youth Perspectives on Violence in New Orleans
Columbia Heights Educational Campus Food Equity Team Team Leader: Dara Shaw, The Urban Institute (Washington, DC) Youth Researchers: Issa Batista, Gisselle Lainez, Ydidiya Nadew, Jasmin Ramirez Projects: The Journey to Student Voice at a DC High School: Empowering Students (and Improving Schools) through Student-Led Research
Dialogical Pedagogy Team Leader: Grace Leu (Peru State College) Youth Researchers: Isabella Andino, Kay Castillo, Justin Lopez, Javier Nunez, Sarai Roca, Dayra Sanchez, and Jose Soso-Dolmo Projects: The Power of Inclusivity: Black and Brown Youth Creating Vibrant Communities Through Class Discussions
Global Inclusion Alliance Team Leader: Amy Pozza (Saint Mary’s Hall) Youth Researchers: Sohan Bhakta, Rusham Goyal, Amruta Patel, and Helen Trottmann Projects: A Call for Alternative Perspectives in the Classroom: the Indian American Experience of Learning about Caste and Colonialism in High School, Code and decode: a computational model of colonial language bias in high school world history textbooks
Manual High School SVL Team Team Leader: Beatriz Salazar (University of Colorado, Boulder) Youth Researchers: Kaelie Cazares, Iyari Hernandez-Bartolo, Flor Hernandez-Velasco, Abraham Munoz, Amorina Slaton, Indigo Smith, and Nevaeh Walker Projects: Creating a Professional Development Unit for High School Teachers Through YPAR
NextGen AI-ers Team Leaders: Elena Papanastasiou & Agni Stylianou-Georgiou (University of Nicosia) Youth Researchers: Despoina Georgiou, Georgios Georgiou, Christos Loannou, Cleo Smyrillis, and Constantinos Smyrilli, Projects: It’s about time! Transforming our learning through AI: An intersection of diverse perspectives on the future of education
SEEJuSt Team Leaders: Hosun Kang, Nelly Tsai & Doron Zinger (University of California, Irvine) Youth Presenters: Abdirahman Abdulahi, Mahba Ahmad, Jasmine Chee, Ethan Lin, Kira Matsuoka Cody Shiang, and Sophi Tong Projects: Amplifying the Voices of Youth to Improve School Lunch and Mitigate Climate Crisis
The Youth Research Council Team Leaders: Bethany Monea (University of District of Columbia) & Meagan Call-Cummings (John Hopkins University) Youth Researchers: Ruth Abebe, Duchmaa Ariunbold, Gilden Atongazi, Tsion Deressa, LemLem Lemma, Ziyad Sankoh, and Emily Ta Projects: What Makes Students Fell Un/Safe in Northern Virginia Public High Schools?
Action Against Gender-Based Violence Team Leader: Jennifer Cypher, Crescencia Fong (University of Toronto Schools in collaboration with Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto) Youth Researchers: Jaya Choudhry, Simon Goleszny, Akshita Nath, Kiran Oberai, Curtis Yeung Projects: Collaborating to Address Online Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Abuse
Cincinnati's Teen Think Tank Team Leader: Allison Lester (Ish Cincy) Youth Researchers: Safa Ahmad, Shahnaz Hassan, Abigail Rubinstein, Atlas Suarez Projects: Our Community Safe Space: A Youth Participatory Action Research Project by Cincinnati's Teen Think Tank
Columbia Heights Education Campus and the DC Education Research Collaborative Team Leader: Dara Shaw (DC Urban Institute) Youth Researchers: Jennifer Aguilar, Gustavo Rosas Cardos, Ydidiya Nadew , Belstar Nimon鈥怲oki, Elimane Samb Projects: A New Beginning: The Journey to Student Voice at a DC High School
Cyphers for Justice Team Leader: Limarys Caraballo (Teachers College, Columbia University) Youth Researchers: Fatima Farrukh, Clarissa Kunizaki, Catherine Lee, Alitzah Pacheco, Stephanie Sosa, and Xuyin Zhong Projects: The Silent Epidemic, Exploring Intersectionality: Asian American Students and Academic Excellence, Language Experiences of International ELL Students in an American Secondary School, LGBTQIA+ Discrimination at School, Addressing Inequity in Special Education, Exploring the Relationship between Teacher Diversity and Students’ Mental Health
Freedom Area High School – Science Education Research Group Team Leader: Brian Wargo (Freedom Area High School) Youth Researchers: Carter Altvatter, Brandi Bonzo, Meadow Ging鈥怶argo, Leannah Messenger, Ana Shipman Projects: The Relationship Between Engagement in and Articulation of Authentic Scientific Practice
Students for Inclusion Team Leaders: Ignacio Calder贸n-Almendros, Teresa Rasc贸n-G贸mez, Luz Mojtar-Mendieta (University of M谩laga) Youth Researchers: Dar铆o Calder贸n鈥怌ano, Malena Calder贸n鈥怌ano, Ant贸n Fontao鈥怱aavedra, Indira Mart铆nez鈥恉e鈥怚larduya, Jorge Osa鈥怓ern谩ndez Projects: Emerging Narratives on Inclusive Schooling
Team Peace and Education Coalition High School / DePaul University Team Leaders: Joby Gardner, Thomas Noel, Jr, Rebecca Michel (DePaul University) Youth Researchers: Jayshaun Doyle, Andres Martinez, Derek Nash Jr., Layla Nash, Damari Robertson, Rotierra Smith Projects: Improving our Community by Promoting Youth Access to Mental Health Services
Thornton Fractional South High School Student Equity & Leadership Team Team Leaders: Guadalupe Ramirez (University of Illinois) and Steven Flores (National Lewis University) Youth Researchers: Isis Barrett鈥怰ogers, Dulce Gonzalez, Aayla Holiday, Kyndall Jackson, Breanna Lopez, Makalah Simpson Projects: Partners in Change: Using Literature to Activate Student Activism
Trinity Youth Scholars Team Leaders: Enrique Aleman, Jr. and Lisa Mendoza Knecht (Trinity University) Youth Researchers: Ashby Casta帽eda, Skarleth Elvir Betancourth, Daira Garc铆a Manzano, Mario Herrera, Shiara Ruiz, and Kimberlyn Salvador Avilez Projects: Telling the Immigrant Stories, Understanding Racism, The Mental Health Challenges of High School Students
Youth Action Council, Impression 5 Science Center Team Leaders: Angela Calabrese Barton, Wisam Sedawi (University of Michigan) Youth Researchers: Jack Balzer, Evan Bohus, Aliyah Brown, Frankie Calabrese Barton, Maia James, Amyah Madison, and Grace Rose Projects: Reclaiming our Science Center Towards Social Justice
Youth Research Council Team Leaders: Meagan Call-Cummings (George Mason University), Bethany Monea (University of Pennsylvania), Giovanni Dazzo (University of Georgia) Youth Researchers: Dyhemia Cummings, Natale Gray, Sohan Jama, Oaklen Kalinichenko, Bethlehem Tekle, Jehan Ziboukh Projects: The Intersectional Impacts of Racial Microaggressions in High Schools: A YPAR Investigation
YTER Canada: We are One Team Leaders: Rahat Zaidi (University of Calgary), Michelle Veroba (Brooks Composite High School), Joseph Octavius (Grasslands Public High School) Youth Researchers: Selma Abdulkadir, Kanaalaq Hoyland, Nikki Kasaba, Cindy Li Projects: Activism and Advocacy During Troubled Times: A Roadmap for Improved Practices Among Newcomer Youth
YTER – TEXAS 2023 Team Leader: Elizabeth Stackhouse (University of Houston-Downtown) Youth Researchers: Jose Medrano, Sharai Mondragon, Esteban Posadas, Ashley Sanchez Projects: When It Personally Matters - Engaging Emergent Bilingual Students in Education Research: Investigating the Trajectories of Long-Term Emergent Bilinguals in High School