We most often focus on graduate students. Yet, there are great benefits to this type of undergraduate contributions. Second, the aim is to foster more of a problem-solving paradigm to address the issues facing justice-involved youth and the risks faced by so many young people today. These six papers all utilize cumulative learning and a unique nine-step problem-solving learning method that includes complex thinking and research skills in order to create evidence-based solutions to youth crime and justice.
 
The originality of the Special Issue – What new contribution will the Special Issue make? Undergraduates are rarely given the opportunity to make unique contributions to our field(s). Additionally, while social scientists conduct robust research, that research does not always address viable and multipronged solutions to our most pressing and consistent problems, including mental health, trauma (victim and offender), and school-to-prison pipelines. These students, using prior knowledge, current, and recently created knowledge develop evidence-based solutions to complex youth problems.