Student Researchers Take the Stage at CSRI Symposium
The second annual Crescent School Research Institute (CSRI) symposium, held on Tuesday, March 3 at Crescent, brought together Middle School students from across North America to present youth participatory action research projects. Their research aims to improve school culture and strengthen student voice, belonging, and agency.
Co-developed by CCBE Research Associate Trish Cislak and CCBE colleagues, CSRI was launched in 2024 by the Crescent Centre for Boys’ Education (CCBE) to expand research opportunities for Middle School students. While Crescent already offered SPARC and Challenge Success research programs for older grades, CSRI provides opportunities designed specifically for younger students interested in exploring real-world questions within their school communities. Crescent Middle School students enrolled in the program meet for one to two hours each week to design and conduct their own research projects.
Five schools participated in the symposium, many sending multiple teams: Seven Hills School (Virginia, US), St. John’s-Ravenscourt School (Winnipeg), The Bishop Strachan School (Toronto), St. Andrew’s College (Aurora), and Royal St. George’s College (Toronto). Representatives from Branksome Hall, Northmount School, Havergal College, and Upper Canada College attended as observers.
The symposium served as the culmination of months of work that began in September. Throughout the year, students identified issues, reviewed relevant literature, developed research methodologies, and pored over data to form recommendations for their schools. “Students went on this independent discovery of their own research question. We told them, ‘We're not giving you the answer,’” says Dr. Sandra Boyes, Executive Director of Professional Learning and Research at the CCBE. “And because of that, they understood that their opinion matters.”
Several presentations shared common themes: students are managing an increasingly complex school-life balance, want to improve how they study and learn, and seek better ways to use unstructured time. The symposium highlighted the power of student-led research and demonstrated how thoughtful inquiry can lead to meaningful conversations about improving the student experience.
Student groups presented their findings to a panel of invited guests, including CCBE Advisory members Dr. Glenda Black, Dr. Greg Wells, Dr. Phil Cummins, and (Crescent parent) Nancy Hotson, as well as David Goodman from Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS). The panel engaged students in discussion and provided written feedback to each team. “What we hope for the students is that they now understand how to thoroughly investigate questions and conduct research,” says Boyes. “We want them to test their theories, listen deeply, and analyze with a critical eye.”
