The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research is pleased to welcome GripTape as part of the center. GripTape is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding youth-driven learning experiences and provides teens resources and support to pursue their interests and map their own path to success.
“We’re excited to combine our expertise with BCTR’s community of researchers and partners to push the boundaries of what’s possible for young people,” said GripTape CEO Mark Murphy. “Together, we’ll create real-world strategies that unlock the full potential of youth-driven learning.”
This partnership with GripTape will enhance the BCTR’s already extensive array of youth-related research and programming from ACT for Youth, Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery (CRPSIR), The Parenting Project, Cornell Project 2Gen, the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement (PRYDE), the Residential Child Care Project (RCCP), and New York State 4-H Youth Development.
“Integrating the GripTape program is an exciting growth opportunity for our center and affiliated researchers,” said BCTR Director Anthony Burrow. “At a time when innovations in youth learning are center-stage, and interest in discovering how to optimize learning while supporting their engagement and well-being is high, this partnership is especially timely.”
GripTape’s signature program is its Learning Challenge which gives teens ages 14-19 a chance to pursue something that interests them, and fully decide how they want to learn about it during a 10-week period. Teens are also given a budget of up to $500 and support from an adult Champion who takes an interest in the teen’s pursuit and helps them reflect on their ideas, actions and decisions.
Research from the Learning Challenge affirms that young people are capable of learning on their own and develop valuable and transferable skills from the experience. According to GripTape’s second longitudinal study, completed in 2022, 87% of youth that took part in a Learning Challenge are more confident in their ability to learn on their own, and 85% chose to continue their pursuit beyond the first 10 weeks.
There is also emerging evidence that participating in GripTape holds benefits for youth that extend beyond learning. In a recently published study, researchers followed youth across their 10-week learning challenge and found that on days youth met with their adult Champion, they reported a greater sense of purpose, self-esteem and clarity about who they were. Kaylin Ratner led the study as a BCTR postdoc and is now assistant professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The study is an example of research that has already been done between GripTape and BCTR. Now, partnering with BCTR, GripTape aims to work in tandem with all of the BCTR’s established youth-related projects and programs in order to empower youth to unlock their potential.
“To grow a deeper partnership with GripTape from a singular research question into more abundant connections with researchers across Cornell is a tremendous opportunity for our center,” Burrow said. “To see the directions their program moves into over the next year or so will be something to watch.”
