Episode 50: From Assumptions to Evidence in Youth Engagement

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Earl of the University of Delaware shares research that reframes how we understand youth participation in civic life. Drawing her research and others, she highlights the many ways young people are already engaging—through advocacy, community action, and organizing—often while navigating constraints created by adult systems and expectations. The conversation explores how common assumptions about young people can shape program design and decision-making, and why approaches that emphasize youth agency and adult partnership tend to be more effective. Listeners working in schools and youth-serving spaces will find this episode useful for reflecting on how structures, language, and support systems can better align with how young people actually engage. *Replay from the 2025 EAC Week