03 · Youth-led participatory research
A Path to Success: Supporting Immigrant & Refugee Youth Access to Higher Education
Pacific Immigrant Resources Society & UBC Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) Fund
Project Co-lead & Grant Recipient · $25,000 · 2023 – 2024
A community-based participatory research project examining the barriers immigrant and refugee youth face in accessing higher education, co-led with a Youth Advisory Committee and grounded in their lived experience.
about the project
I co-secured and administered a $25,000 UBC Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) fund, with co-lead Emilie Wang, to design and deliver a participatory research project with newcomer youth in the Lower Mainland, in partnership with the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society. The project set out to map the gap between existing services and the real needs of immigrant and refugee youth, and to raise awareness of the supports available to them.
youth advisory committee
At the centre of the project was a Youth Advisory Committee of immigrant and refugee youth who served as community voices rather than research subjects. Through three facilitated community consultations, the committee shaped the research priorities, co-developed the community survey, and guided the design of the public workshops, holding ownership over the work and its outputs.
methodology & outputs
The project combined a literature review, a mapping of over 50 newcomer-serving programs across Metro Vancouver, interviews with service providers, and a community survey that drew 153 responses through snowball sampling. Findings were translated into a public impact report and a series of four opt-in, low-barrier public workshops ('Craft a Winning Application,' 'Fund Your Future,' 'Minding Your Mental Health,' and 'Thriving in 1st Year') with recordings published to extend access across the community.
impact
Beyond the research, the project created real leadership pathways: two Youth Advisory members, Kylie and Benafsha, co-planned and co-delivered workshops, building facilitation, event-planning, and community-engagement skills. The peer-led model fostered mentorship connections between current post-secondary students and newcomers, and the resulting evidence base was designed to inform service providers, policymakers, and funders on closing the gaps newcomer youth face in accessing higher education.