Last month, the second cohort of CARA’s Youth Research Council convened to reflect on their work to date and complete a structured skills debrief. A clear and consistent theme emerged across reflections: engagement in the current study, The Hidden Curriculum of Belonging: Navigating College as Commuter Students, has deepened both their research capacity and their own sense of belonging as students navigating college, various internships, and other responsibilities. 

For many participants, this represents their first experience engaging in applied collaborative research. They all shared that conducting interviews and facilitating focus groups across campuses has strengthened their confidence in interpersonal communication and interviewing skills; and students whose career interests are in postsecondary advising noted that participation in the YRC has reaffirmed and strengthened their commitment to the field. Across the cohort, members emphasized that they are developing transferable skills in collaboration and problem-solving that they see as applicable across a wide range of professions.

In reflecting on their ownership and leadership of the project, students noted that while facilitators provided guiding prompts and structure, they felt a strong sense of responsibility for driving the work forward, particularly in participant recruitment and shaping project direction. We look forward to continuing this work with a new project in the fall!