PPAR is an application of Participatory Action Research (PAR) to improve parent engagement in school issues. Through PPAR, parents identify issues that need attention at their childrens’ schools, and develop and carry out their own research project to understand and address them.
PPAR was developed as part of a study at the University of Minnesota (Project TRUST) to deepen students' feelings of connectedness with their schools. School connectedness leads to improved student academic performance and lower engagement in health-risk behaviors (e.g. tobacco or drug use, bullying, etc.).
Our Project TRUST team believes that PPAR can be used in youth-serving organizations outside of schools. We’ve made an effort here to detail our methods and have provided examples of activities and materials that have proved effective. Please feel free to use and share what you find here.
PPAR in Action
