Project JUNTOS (TOGETHER) is a lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. Research in this lab focuses on the well-being of Latinx/Hispanic youth and their families. For the JUNTOS Familia Study, RAs will be assisting with the 4th year of the project which entails the implementation of JUNTOS PODEMOS- a family-based program to assist Latino/Hispanic teenagers in coping with discrimination and racism, with the ultimate goal of improving their health and well-being. The 4th year of JUNTOS PODEMOS recruits Latinx/Hispanic high school students and parents of these students to participate in the program as a family. This phase of the study will be an experimental pilot test of the program, so there will be an intervention group and control group participating. The goal of the 4th year JUNTOS Familia is to improve JUNTOS PODEMOS for future years of implementation by assessing the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.
The JUNTOS School study – with ultimate goals closely aligned with those of JUNTOS Familia – will seek to understand structural racism experienced by Latino/Hispanic youth in schools and address it through systematic changes in schools. Through data collection from students, their parents, and school personnel, this effort will first create a comprehensive view of Latino/a students’ experiences in the school ecology and then craft ways to change these environments that lead to experiences with discrimination, prejudice, and racism.
If you enjoy community outreach, interaction with various individuals, and working with students and families, this could be the position for you! This experience involves field work and a lot of passion for this type of work. We want you to be invested in fostering relationships with the members of the community.
If you are interested in applying to be an RA, please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/ECkHXdZbpZ12XMD67
Students from any major who are interested in learning about the process of conducting social science research with Latinx/Hispanic populations research are welcome as RAs. Students must be organized, outgoing, responsible, detail oriented, team-oriented, and able to demonstrate success in their UT coursework. Experience in community outreach/involvement is preferred. We are looking for bilingual (English/Spanish) applicants but non-bilingual individuals are still encouraged to apply!
Ongoing and always seeking new research assistants.
For the 4th year of JUNTOS PODEMOS, RAs will have tasks such as: participant outreach and recruitment through visiting local high schools to table and present to potential research participants, as well as attending PTA meetings, parent groups, and other community events and organizations to reach potential participants. RAs will further reach participants through calling and maintaining contact with them, and will assist in administering assessments, cleaning data, and following up on participant data. Intervention facilitation will involve RAs practicing and conducting facilitation of program protocols for meetings with student and parent intervention participants. RAs will also collect observational data about participants in the intervention. In general, the role will involve community outreach and involvement with local non-profits and organizations to promote our research and get stakeholders involved in the research. Support of the lab without participant outreach will involve preparing materials for program implementation, translating needed study documents, and ensuring the overall functioning of lab projects.
RA tasks for the JUNTOS School study will be similar to those of JUNTOS Familia, including contacting potential research participants. RAs will assist in conducting interviews and focus groups with participants and collecting data about school environments. This study will similarly involve community outreach and contact with local high schools and organizations.
