Development in Sociocultural Context (DISC) Lab
Mission
Our core purpose is to explore the impact of school, peer, family, and community settings on young people’s achievement motivation, engagement, behavioral and academic identity development, and overall emotional, social, and cultural well-being. Through our research, we strive to understand child and adolescent development within unique sociocultural contexts. We are committed to developing evidence-based interventions and insights that inform policies and practices aimed to reduce risky health behavior and promote positive youth development.
Vision
We envision a future where every child and adolescent has the opportunities and resources to reach their full potential in safe, supportive, and empowering environments regardless of their socioeconomic or cultural background. We want schools, families, and communities to be equipped with evidence-based tools and practices that nurture academic achievement, emotional resilience, and healthy adolescent development. By translating our research into actionable insights, policies, and interventions, we aim to create lasting positive change in how youth are educated and supported.
We are driven by core values that shape our research and impact. Our holistic approach to development connects academic success with social, emotional, and behavioral well-being.
We recognize that academic success is deeply connected to social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. Our work is guided by a holistic approach to development, ensuring that our research and interventions support the comprehensive growth of young people.
We are committed to fostering equity in education and development by recognizing and addressing the diverse needs of children and adolescents across sociocultural backgrounds. We believe that cultural context is crucial in understanding child and adolescent development and believe in the inherent worth and potential of every individual child.
We emphasize the importance of continuous self-reflection on our own biases and assumptions, understanding how they may influence our research and interactions.
Our work is grounded in rigorous, evidence-based research. We prioritize methodological integrity, validity, and reliability in all our studies, ensuring that our findings are both scientifically sound and practically applicable.
We value collaboration with schools, families, policymakers, and other stakeholders. We believe that partnerships are essential for creating sustainable change and that our research should be informed by and responsive to the communities it aims to benefit.
We believe that our research should not only advance scientific knowledge but also translate into practical and sustainable solutions that improve lives. We strive to ensure that our findings lead to meaningful change in policies, practices, and outcomes.
Our research focuses on how family, school, and community environments shape child and adolescent development, offering a nuanced understanding of the role contextual factors play in behavior and outcomes.
We examine how ethnic-racial socialization by parents and communities influences resilience, identity, and academic achievement, providing key insights into the impact of cultural values on youth development.
Our research informs policy and practice by uncovering how sociocultural factors affect student engagement and achievement, offering strategies to address educational disparities and foster equity.
By incorporating an intersectional approach, we explore how race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status intersect to influence youth development, shedding light on the complexities of identity and its effects on educational outcomes.