Empowering Youth
Youth-led research. Real change.
The Ideas Lab is a 10-week cohort experience that trains young people as researchers. In 2026, nearly 280 youth researchers surveyed almost 4,000 California teens — and two-thirds said they feel overwhelmed, stressed, or burned out three or more days a week.
280+
Youth researchers
~4,000
Teens surveyed
10 weeks
Cohort length
40+
California schools reached
How the cohort works
Weeks 1–2
Ground
Learn the fundamentals of mental health, research ethics, and community-based science.
Weeks 3–4
Design
Choose a question that matters and design a rigorous, youth-informed study.
Weeks 5–7
Collect
Deploy surveys and interviews to peers across schools and communities.
Weeks 8–10
Share
Analyze findings and present recommendations to leaders and educators.