Our Research
We regularly conduct studies to better understand the impact of the Learning Challenge and how to improve it. We do our own research to hear from teenagers so that everything we offer is designed with young people like you at the center. We send out surveys, conduct interviews, and engage in research to understand your experiences and beliefs at the end of the Learning Challenge… and we learn from you how to make what we offer better.
We also partner with external researchers who help us understand more about young people who complete a Learning Challenge. For example, Cornell University’s Purpose and Identity Processes Lab, led by Dr. Anthony Burrow, has worked with us to conduct a multi-year study that explores the impact of self-driven learning on teens. Over 700 Challenger volunteers took part in this study, and these researchers have published several scientific papers examining the short and long-term outcomes of the Learning Challenge. We’re seeing significant trends, including evidence that Challengers’ sense of purpose, self-esteem, and clarity about who they are increase. These findings are exciting! They have important implications for designing programs that really work for you and other teenagers, and make an important contribution to research on self-directed learning and youth development. Take a look at Cornell’s studies alongside our own research to learn more.
GripTape Learning Reports
GripTape was founded not only to bring learning opportunities to young people, but also to be an organization that continuously learns itself. From the start, we have studied the Learning Challenge model and its impact on youth to better understand how to design approaches that enable teenagers to develop their agency and chart their paths to success. To learn more, check out our reports below.
Cornell University Research Reports
Dr. Anthony Burrow and a research team from Cornell University’s Purpose and Identity Processes Lab partnered with GripTape in 2020 to launch a 3-year study of its Learning Challenge model and supports to investigate its impact on multiple constructs of youth wellbeing. These publications represent a growing body of research emerging from this partnership.
