Youth Activism and Social Change — Ben Kirshner | Ed Talks Fall 2018

Youth Activism and Social Change — Ben Kirshner, Professor of Education and Faculty Director for CU Engage

“Teenager," and its more clinical cousin, "adolescent," have become laden with meanings that disparage and stigmatize young people in their second decade of life. Common negative narratives are a problem not just because they are scientifically unsupported, but also because they are used to justify counterproductive policies and practices, especially when intersected with race, class, gender, and sexuality. What is the alternative? We need new narratives and new opportunities for young people to act as political agents who have a right to participate in decisions about policies and systems that affect their lives.

Video taken at the CU Boulder School of Education Fall 2018 Ed Talks at the Dairy Arts Center. Inspired by TED Talks, Ed Talks is a thought-provoking series aimed at challenging assumptions and creating new paradigms around diversity and inclusion in education and beyond.