Education Research
Research-Informed Innovation for Youth Leadership and Educational Equity.
TAFT Foundation is committed to advancing research-informed approaches to youth leadership development, peer learning, and educational equity.
Our education research initiatives explore how structured peer tutoring and mentoring environments can support not only academic growth, but also leadership identity development, collaboration, social-emotional learning, and pathways toward the teaching profession.
At the center of this work is the Scalable Peer Flux Leadership (SPFL) framework — an emerging leadership framework developed to examine how leadership can emerge through collaborative peer learning environments, particularly among underserved high-potential students.
TAFT’s research efforts are grounded in the belief that educational programs and research should inform one another. Through pilot initiatives, program implementation, and ongoing evaluation, TAFT seeks to generate insights that contribute to both educational practice and scholarly conversations surrounding youth leadership, peer learning, and equity in education.
Current areas of interest include:
– Youth leadership development in peer learning environments
– Leadership identity formation among underserved students
– Peer tutoring, mentorship, and collaborative learning
– Educational equity and access for high-potential learners
– Social-emotional development and future educator pathways
TAFT’s long-term vision is to develop scalable, evidence-informed models that help schools and communities cultivate youth leadership, expand educational opportunity, and strengthen pathways into the teaching profession.
As TAFT’s pilot programs expand, future research initiatives may include mixed-methods studies, program evaluation, leadership measurement development, and collaborative partnerships with schools, researchers, and educational organizations.
TAFT welcomes future collaboration with schools, researchers, community organizations, and philanthropic partners.
Future Research directions
TAFT is interested in future collaborations related to:
– Youth leadership development
– Peer learning environments
– Educational equity
– Leadership measurement
– Design-based research
– Talent development and mentorship
Partnership and collaboration inquiries are welcome.
➡️ Help support pilot implementation, evaluation, and future research.