We’re proud to share that
@DrEizadirad, YAAACE’s Senior Manager of Research, Evaluation, and Knowledge Mobilization, presented at the 2025 American Educational Research Association (
@AERA_EdResearch) Annual Meeting 📚— one of the largest global gatherings of scholars, practitioners, and community leaders dedicated to advancing educational research for social impact. 🌍
This year’s conference theme, “Research, Remedy, and Repair: Toward Just Education Renewal,” aligns deeply with YAAACE’s mission and work in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community.
@DrEizadirad’s presentation, titled “Reflections of Community Workers With Homicides, Incarceration, and Pain-Driven Advocacy in Toronto, Canada,” amplified over two decades of trauma-informed, community-rooted advocacy through
#YAAACE programs — and the transformative impact of that work.
Through holistic wraparound supports,
#YAAACE has played a vital role in violence prevention and intervention — disrupting systemic barriers and creating safer, supportive pathways for Black and underserved youth to thrive.💫
This research uses duoethnography and Critical Race Theory to center community narratives that are often left out of academic spaces. It offers a powerful example of how grassroots organizations like YAAACE bridge research and practice to bring about meaningful change.
🔗 Read the full article here:
cultureandvalues.org/index.p…
#YAAACE #AERA2025 #YouthEmpowerment #ViolencePrevention #CriticalRaceTheory #TraumaInformed #JaneAndFinch #ResearchAsActivism #CommunitySafety #EducationEquity #KnowledgeMobilization