In the Central Valley, youth of color experience higher levels of adverse childhood experiences and systemic barriers due to lower social determinants of health, incarceration, and interpersonal violence within their communities. These factors often impact their ability to discover and believe in their powers, developing a “learned helplessness,” where they think their actions and voices do not matter. In recent years, there has been a growing infrastructure of youth organizing in the Central Valley that aims to empower youth of color to exercise their voice and develop a deeper understanding of the social issues in their communities. However, such youth-led efforts have gained negative attention from local powers due to a lack of support and legitimacy from the area's conservative political and social climate.To address the stated challenges of youth organizing in the Central Valley, this research hopes to answer the question, “How does youth organizing and civic engagement foster a sense of agency and self-efficacy among young people of color,.” The importance of this research lies in acknowledging the consequences if such organizations continue to be questioned.

Over 10,000 sidewalk vendors fill the streets of Los Angeles County every day, contributing to both the region’s economy and its culture. Since 2024, these vendors have been supported by an official LA County Vending Ordinance, which has allowed entrepreneurs the opportunity to sell without fear of punitive action. This ordinance, however, has focused solely on food vendors countywide, making little mention of those who produce and sell artisan crafts. This project looks to the case study of London, England to beg the question: how does state support impact the sale of art within an organized market setting? Through qualitative interviews with market vendors and extensive documentation of field notes across ten different London markets, this research analyzes the ways in which London councils operate over 280 street markets inclusive of both crafts and food items. Specific attention is given to vetting processes, stall distribution, and signposting across all ten observed markets. The findings highlight how the allocation of permanent stalls and permitting processes in London have created a culture of crafts-creation and sale that has not yet permeated cities such as Los Angeles. Legal processes refining requirements for food vendors have already initiated the process of encouraging entrepreneurship in various Los Angeles lower-income communities. Using London as an example showcases the ways in which including the arts in such ordinances will aid in the further expansion of entrepreneurship and market creation.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that destroys the body’s myelin sheaths, causing a range of symptoms such as impaired coordination, pain, muscle spasticity, and memory problems. These symptoms are exacerbated by high heat. Therefore, it is predicted that global warming and other aspects of climate change can have serious repercussions for individuals with multiple sclerosis. Past studies rely largely on the use of quantitative methods to understand the effect of heat on individuals with MS. Thus, ethnographic methods such as interviews and literature review with members at the Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center are used to gather data and ensure disabled perspectives are included in this area of research. Preliminary findings suggest climate change worsens physical symptoms of MS and can contribute to poor mental health and social isolation. Future direction includes the education of individuals with multiple sclerosis and the creation and distribution of disaster plans.

This research aims to investigate the impacts of urban planning on health outcomes of urban communities through policy with an emphasis on Black, immigrant, and Indigenous communities in Los Angeles utilizing a mixed-methods framework. On the qualitative end, a joint approach of historical analysis of actions and policies passed by local governing bodies and the creation of community focus groups to discuss attitudes towards land development, usage, and urban planning as a whole were prioritized in collecting data for this study. Observational data around the negative health impacts amongst the communities of interest that can be linked to historical urban planning trends were also incorporated. Relevant theoretical frameworks also include the right to the city, indigenous planning, and co-production to place an emphasis on the right for marginalized peoples to have control over the land that they reside and occupy. Whereas traditional urban planning practices aim to maximize the utility of available land for the sake of capital development, attitudes from the global Indigenous sovereignty movement has manifested itself in large municipalities and allowed for historically marginalized communities to have an impact on discussions regarding land-management – housing, businesses, cultural spaces, and other “third” spaces – through political representation and recognition.

My research project seeks to understand the effect of youth-led civic engagement on different outcomes related to one’s social-emotional and civic development. To do so, I am partnering with the Los Angeles community organization Changeist, which encourages young people to “learn a common civic language, engage in dialogue, and build community to investigate local and national challenges." My research question particularly asks, how does participation in youth-led civic engagement programs influence self-advocacy, empathy, and the ability to understand diverse perspectives among youth ages 11-26? To conduct this research, I am utilizing a survey that will gather both qualitative and quantitative data. I will survey Changeist participants and have them self-assess their levels of empathy, self-advocacy, and understanding of diverse perspectives both before and after their participation with the program. The survey will utilize both provided scales (multiple-choice) and long-form responses. This research is currently in progress so there are no results or conclusions at this point, but it will be completed by URW. This topic is critical as young people today are growing up in a complex, dynamic, and diverse socio-political landscape, but are oftentimes not provided with the necessary tools to navigate such an environment. Civic engagement can therefore be a powerful tool to cultivate strategies that promote personal well-being and also encourage justice, thus underscoring the significance of this research project.