Kirshner, Ben

Professor

Positions

Professor, School of Education
Faculty Fellow, Renée Crown Wellness Institute

Research Areas

Research

research overview

Ben Kirshner works collaboratively with educators, community organizers, and students to design and study learning environments that support youth development, activism, and political participation. He co-leads two research groups: Transformative Student Voice and the Research Hub for Youth Organizing. With Transformative Student Voice he develops research-practice partnerships that increase the capacity of public schools to support student voice and social justice leadership (www.transformativestudentvoice.net). With the Research Hub he co-designs educational tools and research studies with youth organizing groups and networks that build capacity for young people to influence policy and public narratives (https://www.colorado.edu/education-research-hub/). Ben’s book, Youth Activism in an Era of Education Inequality, received the social policy award from the Society for Research on Adolescence.

keywords

Youth Civic Engagement, Urban Education, Ethnographic Research, Youth Development, Participatory Action Research, Informal Learning Environments, Community-Based Research

Publications

selected publications

book
chapter
- “Participation, Process, and Product”. 60-71. 2024
- Youth activism in post-apartheid South Africa. 59-82. 2024
- The Center for Popular Democracy’s Education Justice Campaign. 2021
- Urban schooling and the transformative possibilities of participatory action research: The role of youth in struggles for urban education justice.. 507-522. 2021
- Building and Brokering Pathways in New Media Arts A New Dimension of Youth Programme Quality. 138-156. 2020
journal article
- Healing justice in multicultural counseling. Journal of multicultural counseling and development. 22-34. 2025
- Youth Community Organizing Groups Fostering Sociopolitical Wellbeing: Three Healing-Oriented Values to Support Activism. 1004-1025. 2024
- Out-of-School Time Programs in the United States in an Era of Racial Reckoning: Insights on Equity From Practitioners, Scholars, Policy Influencers, and Young People. Educational Researcher. 201-212. 2024
- Fostering Youth Sociopolitical Action: The Roles of Critical Reflection, Sociopolitical Efficacy, and Transformative Student Voice. Urban Education. 1132-1158. 2024
- Reclaiming Community: Race and the Uncertain Future of Youth Work. Anthropology and Education Quarterly. 422-423. 2022

Teaching

courses taught

EDUC 4112 - Adolescent Development and Learning for Teachers
Secondary Instructor - Fall 2018
Examines current theory and research about adolescent learning and development and explore implications for secondary teaching. Topics include human diversity as a resource for learning, adversity and agency, connecting instruction to students' everyday lives, and the role of belonging and relationships in positive youth development. This course is appropriate for masters degree students. Degree credit not granted for this course and EDUC 5112.
EDUC 4500 - Community-Based Research for Social Change
Primary Instructor - Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2023
Complete a research project that draws on theories of social change and is developed in partnership with a community or civic agency. Become skilled at doing original research to address complex social problems.
EDUC 6328 - Advanced Child Growth and Educational Development
Primary Instructor - Spring 2023
Introduces students to recent theoretical and research advances in the study of children and adolescent's cognitive, social and emotional development, with an emphasis on implications for learning in and out of school.
EDUC 8358 - Critical Introduction to Learning Theory and Practice, Part 1
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018
This course introduces historical and contemporary perspectives in the learning sciences. Areas of scholarship explored include cognition, behaviorism, and sociocultural approaches. Special attention is paid to the linked histories of these traditions in order to broadly explore what concepts are foundational for critical understanding of cultural, historical, social, embodied, and political aspects of learning. The course explores critiques of relevant fields while also exploring how new ideas and movements are generative for moving research and development toward liberatory aims. Recommended prerequisite: EDUC 6318 or EDUC 8210.
EDUC 8359 - Critical Introduction to Learning Theory and Practice, Part 2
Primary Instructor - Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
This course builds on content central to Part 1 of Critical Introduction to Learning Theory and Practice, which explores historical and contemporary perspectives in the learning sciences. Special attention is paid to theory and practice which is currently at the leading edge of research and development in the learning sciences, while attending to their roots. This course addresses multiple epistemologies and ways of knowing, including global perspectives and critical theories such as feminist, indigenous, and queer approaches. The course also examines how learning theories can inform transformation of practice toward justice and equity.

EDUC 8730 - Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis
Primary Instructor - Fall 2019
Requires students begin semester with qualitative data already collected (from class project, pilot study, dissertation). Instructors present diverse methods of analyzing data and writing about interpretations. Instructors customize part of course to address specific topic of expertise, e.g., discourse analysis, video analysis, textual analysis, ethnographic analysis. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.

INVS 2919 - Renewing Democracy in Communities and Schools
Secondary Instructor - Fall 2018
Examines concepts of activism, citizenship, democracy, power, and diversity through classroom discussions and participation in a local K-12 school's Public Achievement project. Through community-based partnerships, students will develop leadership skills; dialogue with diverse groups of people; identify multiple perspectives around controversial issues; and learn to use research and writing to articulate public problems and advocate for their solutions. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Same as EDUC 2919.

INVS 3302 - Facilitating Peaceful Community Change
Secondary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019
Students gain knowledge and skills that enable them to become effective agents of community change. Focuses on understanding the processes of community building with a multicultural emphasis. Students are encouraged to apply their own life experiences and to examine themselves as potential change agents. Same as WGST 3302.

INVS 3931 - The Community Leadership Internship, Part 1
Secondary Instructor - Fall 2018
Develops students' competencies as community leaders working for a just and sustainable world. Under the supervision of an instructor and a community supervisor, students learn organizational leadership skills by serving as volunteer staff members at community-based organizations. Required requisite, admission into INVST CLP. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.

INVS 4402 - Nonviolent Social Movements
Secondary Instructor - Fall 2018
Explores theories of democracy and development in relation to movements for nonviolent social change. Focuses on means and ends, spirituality, leadership, decision-making, civil society, cooperative economics, ecology and decentralized powers.

LEAD 1000 - Becoming a Leader
Primary Instructor - Fall 2024
The foundation course will prepare students to exercise leadership in business, government and community organizations. Introduces leadership skills useful in a variety of settings including community and civic activities. Helps students to improve self awareness, understand multiple theories, recognize moral courage, build analytic and critical thinking skills and adapt leadership practices to different people and contexts.

LEAD 4000 - Leadership in Context and Emerging Challenges: A Capstone
Primary Instructor - Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2022
Integrates leadership topics and experiences students pursued through the Leadership Studies Minor. Using advanced critical thinking skills, the seminar requires students to evidence their knowledge, competencies and skills related to leadership theory and practice through examining contemporary leadership challenges. Further, the seminar directs students to justify decision-making processes, demonstrating their ability to synthesize prior knowledge to effect desirable, ethical outcomes.

PSYC 4114 - Adolescent Development and Learning for Teachers
Secondary Instructor - Fall 2018
Examines current theory and research about adolescent learning and development and explore implications for secondary teaching. Topics include human diversity as a resource for learning, adversity and agency, connecting instruction to students' everyday lives, and the role of belonging and relationships in positive youth development. This course is appropriate for masters degree students. Same as EDUC 4112 and EDUC 5112.

WGST 3302 - Facilitating Peaceful Community Change
Secondary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019
Students gain knowledge and skills that enable them to become effective agents of community change. Focuses on understanding the processes of community building with a multicultural emphasis. Students are encouraged to apply their own life experiences and to examine themselves as potential change agents. Same as INVS 3302.

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