Pitchfest judges, from left: Stephanie Cook, Erin Godfrey, Mindy Tarlow, Elise Cappella, and Cheri Fancsali.
Nearly 20 interdisciplinary projects were considered during the inaugural NYU Youth Opportunity & Wellbeing Pitchfest, which brought together researchers and practitioners from across NYU to develop ideas aimed at expanding opportunities and improving outcomes for young people. Proposals addressed a range of topics, including education equity, mental health, technology, mentorship, the arts, and civic engagement. Following a competitive review process, seven projects were selected to receive seed funding.
Among the award recipients were Research Alliance team members Michelle Flores and Erin Readling and student intern Cooper Halpern. Their project, “Equity Indicators Summit: Convening NYC Youth, District Leaders, and Researchers to Develop a Research Agenda on Education Equity,” will bring participants together to identify priorities for future research centered on educational equity and young people’s perspectives.
Youth Advisory Council member Cooper Halpern speaks at Pitchfest alongside Michelle Flores.
The project reflects an ongoing commitment to meaningfully incorporate youth knowledge and experiences into the Research Alliance’s work, including through the Youth Advisory Council, which was launched in January 2026. The Council is helping demonstrate that students can contribute not only as participants in studies, but also as partners in identifying the questions, priorities, and indicators that should guide education research, as well as in the collaborative sense-making that moves evidence into action.
The Equity Indicators Summit will create a unique space for NYC youth, district leaders, and researchers to examine how educational equity is understood and measured. Since January, Youth Advisory Council members have been developing youth participatory action research proposals focused on educational inequities they have identified in their schools and communities. Council members are working to propose new equity indicators related to issues such as access to college and career readiness resources, extracurricular opportunities, school funding, artificial intelligence, and supports for students with disabilities. At the summit, YAC members will present these proposals and gather feedback from researchers and practitioners to help refine their ideas and inform future youth-led research.
Visit the Inequality + Opportunity page to learn more about the Pitchfest and the seven funded projects.