How Interest-Driven Learning Drives Student Engagement: Lessons from Student Changemakers
May 2026
Across Massachusetts and beyond, educators are grappling with rising absenteeism and persistent student disengagement. As schools work to re-engage students in meaningful learning, one message is becoming increasingly clear: students are more likely to show up and invest in their education when their learning feels relevant, purposeful, and connected to their lives.
This insight brief from the Rennie Center explores how interest-driven, real-world learning experiences can strengthen student engagement. Drawing on lessons from Student Changemakers, a program grounded in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), the brief highlights how students develop critical research, communication, and problem-solving skills while investigating issues that matter to them. By integrating this work into core academic courses, the program moves beyond traditional project-based learning to explicitly teach the skills students need to analyze information, collaborate with others, and contribute to their communities.