Advancing Research Impact Through Collaborative Partnerships
At Child Trends, we believe that the people who are most impacted by policies and systems must be meaningfully involved in shaping the research that informs these policies and systems—ensuring that research findings lead to more equitable and effective outcomes. Our community-engaged research services are grounded in shared leadership, mutual respect, and the co-creation of knowledge. We partner with youth, families, practitioners, and community-based organizations to design and implement research that is rigorous, relevant, and actionable.
We support our partners across all stages of the research process—from developing research questions and collecting and analyzing data to sharing findings that drive change.
Our Services
Advisory and consultative engagement
We design and facilitate advisory boards, listening sessions, and feedback loops to ensure that communities are heard. Whether we convene youth, families, or practitioners, we translate their insights into actionable inputs that shape research questions, methods, and dissemination.
Collaborative research design and implementation
We work side-by-side with youth, families, practitioners, and organizational partners to design and carry out research that reflects shared goals. Our collaborations include joint development of research questions, co-design of tools, and collaborative analysis that grounds findings in lived experience.
Capacity building and training
We offer hands-on training and technical support for youth, families, practitioners, and organizations to strengthen their roles as co-researchers and decision makers. Topics include research ethics, data collection methods, facilitation strategies, and the use of findings to advance program or policy priorities.
Tool and framework development
To support community-engaged research efforts, we develop frameworks, guides, and toolkits rooted in real-world practice and co-developed with our partners. These resources help others replicate or adapt community-engaged research strategies in ways that are context-specific and sustainable. See an example of our work.
Impact In Action
The following projects are representative examples of Child Trends’ approach to community-engaged research.
Authentic Youth Engagement in Policy
We partnered with five organizations and their youth leaders to co-design and implement a framework for youth engagement in policy. Together, we identified strategies to share power, foster leadership, and influence local and national policy decisions.
“One thing for me that actually made this different. You listened to us, heard us out, and took every idea and actually showed us how it would work. Showed us that some of the ideas we’re thinking aren’t unreachable. They’re not just bad ideas, it just takes a lot of time and planning to work them in certain organizations … [This experience] taught me a lot about myself and my voice and the work I can do with the help of other people. How it’s possible to commit to change if you commit to work and have the data and research behind it.” – Youth researcher
Adapted Measure of Math Engagement
We partnered with students, educators, and researchers to develop a validated survey that reflects how Black and Latino students engage in math. Schools are using results from the survey to improve instruction and learning environments.
“This project was the first opportunity I've had to use student interviews, surveys, and student participation in meetings to learn about their engagement in math class. It was very insightful to see what factors affect student engagement. The teachers on the project are excited to have real data that is relevant and recent to help us make action plans to encourage engagement in our classrooms.” – Teacher researcher
Centering Youth Experiences to Address Community Violence
In partnership with Sasha Bruce Youthwork and youth researchers in Washington, DC, we led a three-year youth participatory action research (YPAR) study that examined the root causes of community violence and generated actionable policy and practice recommendations for city leaders.
“During our time together preparing and discussing the hackathon allowed me to view the city from a different perspective. The study allowed everyone's voices to be heard, and to collectively discuss the needs in the community. Taking thoughts and opinions from natives and residents of Washington DC allowed me to better understand the consistent issues within the communities in wards 7 & 8 and develop efficient solutions for the community. With this research study we hope to spark conversation to begin making change in the community.” – Youth researcher
Why Partner With Child Trends?
- Experienced leaders: We’ve led over 50 community-engaged research projects across early, childhood, child welfare, education, youth justice, and health.
- Action-oriented: We translate findings into tools and recommendations that advance system and policy change.
- Trusted collaborators: We are known for building relationships rooted in trust, transparency, and shared power.
Start Your Community-Engaged Research Journey With Us.
Connect with our team to explore how Child Trends can support your research and engagement goals.