Youth Built Change is a project funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities [Award #R25MD019150]. Through a partnership between the University of Cincinnati and local high schools, Youth Built Change fosters interest, understanding, identity, and a sense of belonging related to careers in STEM and community health for underrepresented high school students. Using a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach, Youth Built Change engages with high school students and their teachers in original research on substance use and mental health issues impacting their local communities. Students and teachers work together as co-researchers to develop action research projects aimed at making change within schools and communities. In addition, students engage in the reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills needed to participate in team science and communicate research results to a variety of audiences.
Our high school partners are North College Hill High School (Hamilton County) and Goshen High School (Clermont County). Our Community Advisory Board partners can be viewed here. To learn more or to discuss partnering with us, please contact Nick Shaver, Project Coordinator.
Youth Built Change builds on previous work supported by an NIH Science Education Partnership Award [Award #R25OD023763-01]. Information about this work appears in journals such as the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Journal of STEM Outreach, Health Education and Behavior, and Research in Science and Education. To read more about our work in these publications, visit our Publications Page.