The chain of progression from teacher education to qualification to classroom instruction and student engagement, and then to learning and achievement, is not as straightforward as often presented. Societal, political and economic pressures create either a positive climate or a stressful one for both teachers and students. Nevertheless it is safe…

In September 2018, the National Literacy Trust launched its Words for Work: Women in Leadership programme, in partnership with Lancôme and their global Write Her Future literacy initiative, to challenge inequalities in employment opportunities for young women from disadvantaged communities. Words for Work: Women in Leadership gives girls and young…

In this article, we take a strength-based approach to understand how applied theatre as a vehicle provides opportunities for embodied voices to have a positive influence on the well-being, and attitudes to health, of young people who have been "pushed" to the margins. We begin by explaining the concepts of well-being, embodiment and…

The paper is a cross-case analysis of identity development of youth throughout their first year attending two alternative high schools. Alternative schools fall in an interesting space of being able to provide innovative and supportive opportunities that are different from mainstream schooling, yet also alternative schools are part of a mechanism…

The aim of this study was to explore the predictive effect of hope for resilience in socio-economically disadvantaged adolescents. Participants of the study were 692 (395 female, 297 male) students attending to 9th, 10th and 11th grades. The age range of the sample was 14-19 (M = 16.24, SD=0.89). A convenient sampling was used to select the…

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted teaching and learning in K-12 settings, as many public schools lacked the technological tools and techniques needed to support effective virtual meetings and online learning. In this article, we explore the impact of the pandemic on "Youth Built Change" (YBC), a STEM-pipeline partnership between…

This article tells the story of two exploratory youth-centered participatory action research (PAR) projects to consider how youth-centered research can resist inequality. In this paper, I focus on the findings and process of two PAR projects that took place within one geographically isolated neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The studies focused…

This qualitative Testimonio study reveals an ethic of care particular to Mexican/Mexican American youth through pedagogy and Testimonios of four Mexican/Mexican American female educators along the U.S./Mexico border. Using a Chicana feminist epistemology, findings reveal a reframed social justice revolution I term Revolucionista Ethic of Care,…

Large numbers of qualified students do not apply to and enroll in college. Yet, earning a college degree is one of the primary pathways for economic success and is increasingly required for good jobs and high wages. A number of programs and practices aim to improve college readiness and enrollment, including "Take Stock in Children's®…

School belonging is a topic of growing interest given its connection with school dropout, academic achievement, students' behavior, and adolescent well-being. Until recently, most of this literature came from Anglo-Saxon contexts, mainstream schools, and quantitative analysis. As a result, there is still a research gap on this issue in different…

Mathematics teachers' preteaching experiences as mathematics learners can affect their identity and practice in supporting their own students' learning and motivation in mathematics. However, little empirical data exist on teachers' formative experiences to guide these assumptions, particularly how teachers draw on these experiences when teaching,…

We estimate the longer-run effects of attending an effective high school (one that improves a combination of test scores, survey measures of socio-emotional development and behaviours in 9th grade) for students who are more versus less "educationally advantaged" (i.e., likely to attain more years of education based on 8th-grade…

Early exposure to college and career readiness supports were offered to disadvantaged grade 10 and 11 high school students through the Launch Ignite Scholar Program. Ignite Scholars were encouraged to build a stronger foundation for college and career through participation in one-on-one advising, college and industry tours, and college and career…

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) Miles Ahead Scholars (MAS) Program was launched in October 2019 with a $22 million grant sponsored by Senator Boris Miles and funded through a Texas Education Agency Student Success Initiative (SSI) Community Engagement Grant. Scholars were mentored by men of color in the community who shared their…

In this paper we explore the role of outdoor residential experiences on the sense of efficacy and examination attainment of a group of under achieving students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The article reports on a three year project which focuses on two groups of Year 9 (age 14) to Year 11 (age 16) students. The results reported here…