WAYS Lab
Welcome to the Wellness And Youth Social action Lab!
"Give light and people will find the way." - Ella Baker
The WAYS Lab is devoted to improving the socio-emotional health of all children through community-partnered research on mental and behavioral health disparities and their solutions. Our areas of focus include developing and testing arts-based interventions, intersections of digital technology and youth mental health, promoting healthy socio-emotional development across the lifespan, and identifying best practices for youth and community-based participatory action research. We do this by centering the voices of youth as co-researchers, engaging with individuals and organizations in Central Virginia, and creating interdisciplinary partnerships at UVA, including with the Center for Community Partnerships, Youth-Nex, and the School of Education and Human Development. Beyond research, we strive to promote holistic well-being through community educational outreach and cultivating a supportive and welcoming lab environment. The WAYS Lab is dedicated to inspiring and training the next generation of child health equity researchers through mentorship and participatory action research.
Our Values:
- Commitment to power- and resource-sharing
- Recognition, acceptance, and celebration of many forms of knowledge and knowledge production
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Collaborative, community-partnered scholarship
- Creativity
- Social action as a research outcome