Course overview

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is a collaborative approach to research that positions youth as co‑researchers of relevant issues in their lives, schools, and communities. In this webinar, Dr. Ian Levy outlines the core principles and theoretical foundations of YPAR. Moreover, Dr. Levy describes how YPAR challenges traditional research paradigms by centering youth voices, promoting social justice, and linking research to action. This session will explore how YPAR can be integrated into various research designs, with attention to ethical considerations, researcher reflexivity, and developmental appropriateness. Attendees will learn how youth can meaningfully participate as co-researchers across all phases of the research process. This webinar is ideal for researchers, graduate students, and practitioners seeking to broaden their methodological toolkit, conduct more equitable and inclusive research, or partner authentically with youth in community‑engaged scholarship.

 Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the principles and theoretical foundations of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), and explain how YPAR differs from traditional researcher‑driven methodologies in terms of power, roles, and decision‑making.
  2. Identify and discuss the ethical, developmental, and contextual considerations relevant to conducting YPAR with youth.
  3. Evaluate how YPAR can address specific research questions or community‑based problems, and apply YPAR concepts to their own research or prospective study designs.

Course curriculum

    1. Webinar Video: Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

    2. Webinar Quiz

    3. Webinar Evaluation

About this course

  • Free
  • Certificate Available
  • NBCC 1 CE Hours

Ian Levy, Ed.D.

Dr. Ian Levy is an Assistant Professor of School Counseling in the Educational Psychology Department at Rutgers University, a former High School counselor, and an emcee. His research explores preparing school counselors to use Hip Hop-based interventions to support youth development. Most notably, Dr. Levy piloted the development, implementation, and evaluation of a Hip Hop-based counseling framework in urban schools. This particular hip hop therapy program was featured on various news outlets, including the New York Times and CNN. In 2016, Dr. Levy was named the New York State School Counselor of the Year. His research monograph, Hip Hop and Spoken Word Therapy in School Counseling: Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches, is published with Routledge. In 2023, he released his second album, Sometimes I Forget Where I’ve Been, available on all streaming platforms. In spring of 2026, Dr. Levy received the American Educational Research Association’s Distinguished Research Award in Counseling.

Jennifer Niles, Ph.D.

Webinar Moderator

Dr. Jennifer Niles is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development at UNCG. She earned her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State, her master's in school counseling from Wake Forest University, and her doctorate in counselor education from William & Mary in 2023. Prior to entering academia, she spent nearly a decade in counseling practice, serving as a school counselor in Winston-Salem, a family clinician in child welfare, and a social-emotional learning specialist. Her research focuses on improving outcomes for both students and school counselors, including substance use prevention programs in schools and the role of hope in school counselor self-efficacy, burnout, and job satisfaction. Dr. Niles is passionate about mentoring graduate students through collaborative research and is committed to professional advocacy for school counseling, with future research interests in youth and community-based participatory action research models.