Welcome to the Hope Lab!

In the Hope Lab we take an assets-based approach to explore factors that promote academic, civic, and psychological well-being for racially marginalized adolescents and emerging adults. We have two primary lines of research. 1) We examine psychological and contextual factors related to education, schooling, and academic well-being. 2) We investigate how sociopolitical attitudes, beliefs, and experiences (e.g., justice, discrimination, efficacy) relate to civic engagement from early adolescence into emerging adulthood. We examine what assets racially marginalized youth bring to their lives and communities and what characteristics can be developed and leveraged to support positive youth development outcomes for these youth. In the Hope Lab, we use quantitative and qualitative methodology to garner a more nuanced understanding of academic, civic, and psychological well-being. Our research is deeply rooted in the belief that while there are common developmental experiences among racially marginalized youth, individual differences and contextual variation require a deep exploration of diverse pathways to success and well-being. The numbers tell us what happens most often, what pathways are most common, and what is most likely to occur. The stories give us insights into the lives of our youth, and the meaning they makes of their own lived experiences.