March 2024

The 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia will feature two returning opportunities for youth to participate. First is the long-running Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop, which includes the Undergraduate Fellows Research Poster Fair. Second is the Youth Teams in Education Research (YTER) Special Program, returning after being launched at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

“We are excited to offer these unique opportunities for these talented students again at this year’s meeting,” said AERA Executive Director Felice Levine. “The AERA Annual Meeting provides a transformative experience for youth to engage with experienced scholars in education research.”

AERA Undergraduate Fellows Research Poster Fair

The Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop will be held April 10–13. Initiated in 2009, the workshop was designed to build the talent pool of undergraduate students who plan to pursue doctoral degrees in education research or in disciplines and fields that examine education and learning from early childhood to workforce participation.

This year, 18 students from a range of higher education institutions will participate as fellows. These sophomores, juniors, and seniors have recent or ongoing research exposure related to an education research question or topic. They will present their work at the Undergraduate Fellows Research Poster Fair, on Friday, April 12, from 4:55 to 6:25 pm in the Pennsylvania Convention Center Exhibit Hall A.

Youth Teams in Education Research (YTER) Special Program and Poster Session

High school students, grouped in teams led by education researchers and high school teachers, will present their work in a featured poster session, in addition to participating in a mini-workshop each day of the meeting, where they will discuss their research projects, issues consequential to them, and potential opportunities for continuing to pursue research engagements. The poster session will take place on Friday, April 12, from 3:05 to 4:35 pm in the Pennsylvania Convention Center Exhibit Hall A.

Editor’s Note: AERA is pleased to report that, in addition to this programming and a dedicated youth conference for elementary school students planned and held by AERA Division C - Learning and Instruction, there are many education researchers and other educational leaders bringing elementary and high school students as well as undergraduates to AERA. Students are participating in sessions (e.g., the Presidential session titled “Elevating Youth Scholar Voice Through Antiracist Educational Practices”) or just attending and learning more about education research, AERA, and substantive topics of interest.