Discover a collection of participatory activities that bring research to life through co-learning, creativity, and co-creation.
Discover a collection of participatory activities that bring research to life through co-learning, creativity, and co-creation.
Several years ago, a patient partner approached our research team with a simple but powerful vision: to create a resource that could help build a common language among research partners, recognizing that not everyone involved in research has formal research training. That vision led us to co-create Understanding Research and, over time, to develop new ways of making research accessible, engaging, and meaningful.
As we shared Understanding Research with others, a new question emerged: What could this look like with youth?
To answer this question, we turned to youth themselves. Together, we explored and adapted different approaches, learning from their creativity, perspectives, and experiences.
The activities shared here grew out of this collaborative process. They are not intended as a set of instructions or a prescribed curriculum. Instead, they offer examples of how we explored topics such as the research process, ethics, methodologies, and communication. Each activity invites co-creation, reflection, and turning abstract concepts into experiences you can see, try, and talk about.
We encourage you to mix and match, build on these activities, and adapt them to your groups (of all ages!), your projects, and your questions.
We hope our experiences spark new possibilities and serve as inspiration for your own creative approaches to learning about research together.
With heartfelt thanks to the youth, community and research partners, and funders who made this project possible. Thank you for your openness, generosity, creativity, and willingness to play and learn alongside us.
