18 Months Lost and Found: Reflections from a transnational participatory action research project exploring young people's lived experiences of the COVID-19 crisis

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, Growing-up Under COVID-19 was a transnational action research project, which aimed to provide insights to the impact of the public health crisis on young people’s lives, and to inform the development of appropriate tools and measures to safeguard children’s wellbeing and rights during and beyond the pandemic. Over 18 months between April 2020 and November 2021, adult researchers from Ecorys and the University of Huddersfield worked collaboratively with 70 young people aged 14-18 living in the UK, Italy, Lebanon and Singapore. The participants were diverse in their backgrounds, identities and circumstances, including LGBTQ+ young people, Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) young people, care leavers, young carers, young people with complex health conditions, and young people experiencing mental health problems. All of them brought rich and unique insights to their lives, and to their agency and decision making at a time of crisis.