Mission Statement

The Youth Action Research Group (YARG) involves community residents in defining, researching and critically analyzing the challenges facing their neighborhoods. The young people in YARG learn participatory action research methods and ethnographic techniques to better understand their surrounding community for the purpose of addressing pressing social issues.

YARG was founded with the goal of developing new leaders and engaging more people in community organizing and local citizenship. We believe that to confront the challenges our communities face, people--not just their advocates--need to define issues and develop strategies for action. YARG fosters leadership, literacy and language development among its participants and provides them an enriching job experience that prepares them for college and for careers in community organizing, advocacy and services delivery.

The YARG project began its formal partnership with the Office of Volunteer and Public Service in 1998.  Since then, Georgetown faculty and students have worked with the YARG staff and youth participants to engage in collaborative research in the community.

More Information on YARG:

• Project Goals
• History of the Youth Action Research Group and Georgetown University
• Problems Addressed and Communities Served