Amplifying Youth Voice and Identity through Action Research: A Conversation with Dr. Jenay F. E. Willis
This latest blog shares highlights from our Deep Dive podcast episode with Dr. Jenay F. E. Willis from the University of Mississippi!
Dr. Willis is a researcher and scholar practitioner who draws from her own experiences as a Black woman from the Deep South. Her work applies critical lenses to explore the lived experiences of rural Black students and communities as they navigate college access, success, transition, matriculation, and graduation. Dr. Willis utilizes what she refers to as community-driven and shared power approaches to center individuals’ identities in her practice.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into how these strategies can be engaged and discuss the learning opportunities involved in community-driven and youth-led research.
Our conversation covers issues including:
- Dr. Willis’ background and what has driven her work today: from going to school in the rural South to teaching in an Urban district in the Northeast.
- Research on youths’ experiences, in particular, with attention to the experiences of rural, Black students and communities.
- Breaking down youth-led participatory action research (YPAR), which is a method that centers young people as the experts and applies their inquires to promote change in their communities. Dr. Willis shares her current projects with YPAR, including a research method called photovoice.
- The meaning behind community-based research and how it supports Dr. Willis’ scholarship.
- The opportunities and obstacles researchers face when it comes to implementing community-based research and highlighting youth voices.
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