Ben Kirshner is a doctoral student in the program in child and
adolescent development at Stanford University School of Education. His
research examines the experiences of young people who work together to
identify and respond to local social problems through research, advocacy,
and outreach.
Karen Strobel, Ph.D, is a post-doctoral fellow at the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities. She recently earned her doctorate in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University's School of Education. Her research examines the positive developmental experiences of youth growing up in low-income communities with a focus on their academic motivation, their emotional well-being, and the contexts in which they learn.
María Fernández, M.Ed, is the John W. Gardner Center's liaison to Redwood City community partners addressing community youth development, civic engagement, and school-family-community partnerships. She was the director of the Gardner Center's Youth Engaged in Leadership and Learning Project from 2000-2002.