This research is organized around a three phase research design:

 

Phase 1 consisting of the research with archives and collections

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Phase 2: the community collaboration with young people as co-curators

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Phase 3: knowledge mobilization.

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The research team will consist of the two co-applicants, a partners’ circle including local youth culture representatives from literature, media, and arts agencies, and 6 research assistants from Ryerson University: two undergraduates, two graduate students from the MA in the Literatures of Modernity, and two Communication and Culture PhD students.

 

This small research team will allow the project to maintain focus, generate synergies, and build upon prior knowledge on the subject matter. The research will be conducted in Toronto over two years. As a pilot initiative contributing to a longer-term research program, this research will prioritize mentorship for undergraduate and graduate research assistants. In addition, it will model the experience of research for the young community co-curators.

 

Ryerson University serves as an ideal institution to host this project with programs that emphasize innovation, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning. The Centre for Digital Humanities and Children’s Literature Archive at Ryerson University are two unique resources that the project will draw on in its research, collaboration, and knowledge mobilization phases.

 

Along with the Collaboratory at the Ryerson University Libraries, the Centre for Digital Humanities, and the Ryerson Image Centre, there are numerous creative venues to showcase our diverse research outputs, alongside the typical modes of academic conference and journal article publication.