Ben Kirshner, Faculty Director, CU Engage
Professor of Education
CU Engage | School of Education

Ben (he/him/his) works collaboratively with educators and students to design and study learning environments that support youth development and activism. His experiences working with young people at a community center in San Francisco’s Mission District motivated him to want to study educational equity and and the design of learning environments. Ben is now a Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development at CU Boulder. Current projects include Critical Civic Inquiry, which partners with school districts to provide opportunities for students to engage in critical action research, and the Research Hub for Youth Organizing, which uses research to build capacity for youth-driven campaigns and movements. His 2015 book, Youth Activism in an Era of Education Inequality, received the social policy award for best authored book from the Society of Research on Adolescence. Ben is excited to be part of CU Engage as we develop and sustain university-community partnerships that address persistent public challenges through research and action.