Sarah Zeller-Berkman

Academic Director of Youth Studies Programs at CUNY SPS

Headshot
Contact

101 W. 31 street 7th floor 

NY NY 10001

Phone: (212) 652-2862

Areas of Expertise
  • Participatory Action Research
  • Youth Studies
  • Critical Youth Studies
  • Intergenerational Policy-Making
  • Youth-Adult Partnerships

Sarah Zeller-Berkman, PhD is the academic director of the Youth Studies Program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) and director of The Intergenerational Change Initiative. At CUNY SPS, she oversees the MA and advanced certificate in youth studies programs and directs the Intergenerational Change Initiative (ICI), a youth participatory action research project involving mobile tech and participatory policy making.

Dr. Zeller-Berkman has spent the last two decades as a practitioner, researcher, evaluator, and capacity-builder in the field of youth and community development. Trained in social-personality psychology, she has worked in partnership with young people on participatory action research projects about issues that impact their lives such as sexual harassment in schools, incarceration, parental incarceration, and high-stakes testing. Her publications include articles and chapters in the Journal of Community, Youth and Environments, The Handbook of Qualitative Research, AfterSchool Matters, New Directions for Evaluation, Globalizing Cultural Studies, and Children of Incarcerated Parents. She is committed to using participatory design principals, youth-adult partnerships, a critical participatory action research approach, and the latest technical tools to be part of a larger movement to alter the status quo for/with young people.

Courses

YS 610 - Youth Development 
YS 699 - Capstone

Academic Programs

Graduate Program

Youth Studies

Advanced Certificate Program

Youth Studies

Recent News

Smiling CUNY SPS students at youth studies event.

Youth Studies Launches ‘23 with Community-Building Events

February 17, 2023

The School's youth studies program hosted back-to-back events that focused on youth programs, social justice, and self-care.

CUNY SPS Youth Studies Scholarship graphic

New Scholarship for Youth Studies Master’s Candidates

June 10, 2022

Incoming and matriculated students in the MA in Youth Studies program may apply now for a scholarship to help defray tuition costs.

CUNY SPS Youth Studies class smiling and posing for the camera.

CUNY SPS Launches BA in Youth Studies Degree Program

March 15, 2022

This innovative program was developed by MA Youth Studies alum and faculty in collaboration with city agencies and non-profits.

Zoom Group Photo of Attendees at CUNY SPS State of NYC Youth 2021 Event

Youth Census Review Spurs Dialogue and Collaboration

January 19, 2022

Attendees met in small groups to discuss the 2021 Youth Ask Youth census findings and how the data might be useful to their work.

Additional Areas of Expertise