Youth Voice in Urban High School Transformation: ”We're Talking ... Is Anyone Listening?”

Sara Kilroy
YouthNet
Worcester Education Partnership

Rebecca Dezan
Clark University

Angel Riepe
Best Buddies International

Laurie Ross
Community Development and Planning Program
Department of International Development, Community and Environment
Clark University

Community Development and Planning Program
Department of International Development, Community and Environment
Clark University

Citation: Kilroy, Sara, Rebecca Dezan, Angel Riepe and Laurie Ross (2007). "Youth Voice in Urban High School Transformation: ”We're Talking ... Is Anyone Listening?”." Children, Youth and Environments 17 (2): 388-405. Retrieved [date] from http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/

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Abstract

Youth voice is an emerging focus within recent efforts to transform urban U.S. high schools into learning environments where academic achievement and high standards of success are emphasized for all students.  Evidence shows increasing youths’ participation leads to higher levels of youth development. Unfortunately, as this paper will demonstrate, students face barriers when trying to make a difference in their school, such as youth-adult power dynamics and adults’ lack of clarity about authentic student participation.  This essay provides examples of these issues through several case studies in which young people become student action researchers in the small learning communities of Worcester, Massachusetts.

Keywords: youth voice, school reform, student researchers, youth participation, youth development