Current Work
Bringing research, practice, and partnerships to life across contexts.
Good Work Value Alignment
“Good Work Value Alignment: Measuring the Non-Economic Value of Postsecondary Credentials Across Sectors,” is a 15-month project which is exploring how students and professionals in high-need fields, including healthcare, IT/technology, and construction/architecture, define the value of post-high school credentials beyond purely economic measures. Building on nearly three decades of “Good Work” research, the study will elevate how meaning, purpose, social contribution, and identity shape learners’ and workers’ views of their education and careers.
Through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with a nationally representative sample, the research team will gather insights from today’s diverse student populations and professionals to inform more inclusive approaches to higher education and workforce development. One of the project’s key outcomes will be the development of a prototype tool to measure the non-economic value of credentials—capturing dimensions such as ethical responsibility, civic engagement, and community contribution. We look forward to sharing updates as the study unfolds and to contributing knowledge that helps institutions and employers better support students in preparing not only for available work, but for meaningful work. We are deeply grateful to Lumina Foundation for their generous support and partnership in advancing this work.
Intellectual Risk Taking in Computer Science
This is a five-month mixed-methods pilot study examining intellectual risk-taking (IRT) in undergraduate computer science (CS) classrooms, with particular attention to the experiences of women in the field. The study is developing and testing a preliminary survey instrument designed to measure behaviors such as asking clarifying questions, acknowledging confusion, and proposing new ideas desipite uncertainty—behaviors that support learning yet may be discouraged in high-pressure academic environments. Working in partnership with 2 higher education institutions, the research team is conducting faculty focus groups, cognitive interviews with undergraduate women, and a pilot survey of approximately 200 students across CS and comparison liberal arts disciplines.
The pilot is designed to produce initial evidence on how intellectual risk-taking varies across gender and academic context and will inform the refinement of a formal IRT-CS measurement instrument. Findings will also support immediate applications in faculty development, curricular design, and classroom climate improvement. A potential second phase of research would pursue broader validation across additional institutions, STEM fields, and student populations, alongside psychometric testing and expanded analysis of how instructional practices, peer norms, and disciplinary culture shape students’ willingness to take intellectual risks. This work contributes to ongoing efforts to advance equity and belonging in STEM education and to develop tools that support inclusive, innovative learning environments. We extend our deep appreciation to the Henry Luce Foundation for its support of this research.
Good Futures Coalition
The goal of the Good Futures Coalition is to co-create culturally-rooted teacher and social worker professional development and reservice training through educational sovereignty to advance youth wellbeing, learning, and equity.
The Good Futures Coalition is a community-led partnership currently being piloted across northern New Mexico during the 2025–2026 academic year that centers Indigenous and multicultural wisdom in co-creating undergraduate educator and social work preparation and broader educational transformation.
The coalition brings together New Mexico Highlands University as the lead university, Northern New Mexico College, SEL4NM, and The Good Project/C3 Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education, with Harvard upporting and helping lead the pilot year alongside New Mexico–based collaborators.
Community Connections
This research project, led by Citizen University, in partnership with Dr. Shelby Clark and Lynn Barendsen, is centered on understanding and, where there's interest, transforming, how food banks function—as the team investigates which food banks see themselves as more traditional services providers vs. those that view themselves as hubs of community connection and mutual aid. Rather than viewing volunteerism as one-directional (helpers serving recipients), the project investigates how food banks can foster relationships, shared responsibility, and civic belonging among staff, volunteers, and community members. The research is motivated by the recognition that millions of people interact with food banks each year, yet many of these interactions remain siloed and impersonal, representing a missed opportunity to build trust and collective community power.
To address this, the research includes a comprehensive landscape assessment combining qualitative and quantitative methods. This involves interviews and focus groups with food bank stakeholders, an academic literature review, and a national survey designed to capture attitudes, experiences, and barriers related to volunteerism and community connection. The goal is to identify “bright spots” where relational practices are already working, understand challenges that prevent deeper connection, and determine the conditions under which more relational, mutual aid–oriented models can thrive. These findings then inform pilot partnerships with food banks, where co-designed interventions are embedded into existing programs to strengthen relationships and community engagement.
This project is not affiliated with our research at Harvard University.
