Laura Wray-Lake, professor of social welfare, received a $200,000 grant from AmeriCorps as part of the 2022 National Service and Civic Engagement Research Project. The grant is one of 21 awards totaling $3.7 million to university scholars around the country to support research on civic engagement, social cohesion, volunteering and national service programs. Wray-Lake’s scholarship is primarily focused on youth civic engagement, and her study will seek to identify effective strategies for supporting adolescents and young adults working to create a more just and equitable society. Working in collaboration with Elan Hope of Policy Research Associates and Emily Greytak of the American Civil Liberties Union, Wray-Lake will document the varied experiences and goals of youth activists and explore the role played by racial, ethnic, sexual and gender identities. The team will employ a multi-method approach that includes a survey of 1,500 young social change agents and an assessment of a social justice training program. “Our youth hold abundant potential to address society’s problems on local, national and global scales,” Wray-Lake said. “This project will help identify how best to support and sustain their civic engagement over time.”