Field Driven Research

In addition to research conducted by staff taking part in the implementation of JGC initiatives and programs, JGC researchers also investigate how other programs affect youth community development. The JGC works with partnering community organizations to identify issues relevant to both individual programmatic concerns as well as youth development broadly defined. The goal of field-driven research is to provide timely analyses to local communities as well as to generate new insights into the scholarly field of community youth development. JGC staff use a variety of data sources – such as agency provided administrative data, surveys directly conducted by the JGC, and participant observation in schools or other programs not initiated by the JGC – as well as other methods of analysis to build a better understanding of youth development locally and beyond. An example of this style of research is the Youth Data Archive project (.pdf opens in new browser window).