UC Davis

In this review, we provide a conceptual and empirical overview of youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) across disciplines. We consider the historical and conceptual contexts for the diversity of YPAR approaches and (a) the rationales underlying the rapid growth of YPAR in practice and research; (b) the relevance of YPAR for the study and promotion of healthy and equitable human development; (c) the state of the empirical evidence for YPAR impact on youth and environments, especially domains of social-emotional well-being and sociopolitical development; (d) challenges and opportunities at the intersection of YPAR and developmental science; and (e) important next steps for the field, including the further development of multimethod research and the need for stronger research and practice to support the capacities needed for YPAR integrity, impact, and sustainability.