Evaluating Youth Participatory Action Research in the Americas: Comparative Insights on Empowerment, Methodologies, and Social Change

INTRODUCTION: Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) positions adolescents as co-researchers to investigate and address social issues affecting their lives. While YPAR has gained global prominence, comparative research examining how it is conceptualized and practiced across regional contexts remains limited. This study analyzes the differences and commonalities in participatory research projects involving youth conducted in North America and Latin America, focusing on theory, methodology, youth participation roles, and socio-political contexts. METHODS: We conducted a rapid review of 85 peer-reviewed and grey literature sources published between 2003 and 2023, utilizing the SPIDER framework. Sources were screened through a multi-step collaborative process and analyzed thematically across four domains: theoretical foundations, methodological design, domains of inquiry, and youth roles, assessed using Arnstein's Ladder of Citizen Participation. RESULTS: Studies in North America often emphasized individual youth empowerment and institutional reform, drawing on critical pedagogy and positive youth development frameworks within school and health settings. In contrast, Latin America studies prioritized collective action, sociopolitical transformation, and decolonial theory, frequently embedded in grassroots movements. Regarding participation, youth in North America often assumed protagonist roles within structured institutional boundaries, while Latin America projects engaged youth as co-creators of knowledge within broader community-driven struggles. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights significant regional distinctions in how YPAR is theorized, practiced, and institutionalized. Findings suggest that hybrid approaches-integrating the institutional access common in North America with the grassroots, collective activism of Latin America-may enhance the transformative potential of YPAR. Future scholarship should explore context-sensitive frameworks that elevate youth leadership while respecting regional epistemologies and political realities.