Eight years ago a group of university faculty, graduate students, and educators created a summer seminar to engage youth as researchers during the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. The program included over 20 Los Angeles Area high school students as they engaged in a critical investigation about youth involvement in different aspects of the democracy and education system. The success of this program has been well-documented and featured in numerous publications (see Collatos & Morrell, 2003; Morrell, 2004; Oakes & Rogers, 2006). The high school participants reported transformative experiences and higher rates of college acceptances. Many participants returned to their high schools to become powerful leaders and eventually pursued similar roles on their college campuses and in their communities.

Grounded in ten years of research, the YEARS Project is based on the principle that when urban youth are provided the opportunity, the space, and the tools necessary to critically examine the education system and democracy; they engage in transformative experiences that lead them to become critically-minded leaders in their schools and communities.