Natasha Blanchet-Cohen, PhD

Dr. Natasha Blanchet-Cohen is a Full Professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences. Her research centers on community youth development with a focus on rights-based approaches to programs and services, culture, and eco-citizenship, particularly as it relates to immigrant and indigenous young people. She is interested in the opportunities and limitations for young people in being change agents in their schools, homes, and communities, as well as the perspectives of youth in providing for rights-based and culturally-responsive services and programs. She is also interested in developmental evaluation as a way of creating space to engage young people and communities to assess their own realities and use this knowledge to inform future action. Dr. Blanchet-Cohen has a well-rounded record of publications, and has been an invited speaker nationally and internationally in the area of youth participation and citizenship, culturally-responsive ecocitizenship, developmental evaluation, and children’s rights. As an interdisciplinary and engaged scholar, her participation in national and international initiatives have contributed to building the capacity of human ecologies - including federal, provincial, and municipal polices and services, and school, family and peer groups – to positively support the quality of young peoples’ lives.

Education

PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Victoria

MA, International Affairs, Carleton University

MA, Public Policy & Public Administration, Carleton University

BA, Political Science, McGill University

Affiliations

Dialog - Réseau de recherche et de connaissances relatives aux peuples autochtones

Observatoire jeunes et société
Centr’ERE - Centre de recherche en éducation et formation relatives à l’environnement et à l’écocitoyenneté
Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability (fellow)
Carrefour Action Municipale des Familles (accreditation committee)
Equitas (Progam committee board member)

Research interests

Child agency and child participation
Community youth development
Children and ecocitizenship
Community-engaged research
Indigenous youth
Culturally-safe child and youth services and programs
Rights-based approaches

Recent Publications

For a list of my recent publications, see https://users.encs.concordia.ca/~bill/hspl/publications.htm