My name is dr. Julia Steenwegen and I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Youth and Family of the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) in the Netherlands. Previously, I was PhD researcher at the Edubron research group at the Department of Education Sciences of the University of Antwerp, Belgium, where I began my doctoral dissertation on community education and supplementary schooling for minoritised youth in 2019. I defended my PhD in Educational Sciences at the University of Antwerp in December 2023. In 2023, I was a visiting researcher at the Department of Integrated Studies (DISE) in Education at McGill University.
At the EUR, I am employed in the CORNER (COllaborative Research on NEighborhood Resilience enablers) project. The CORNER project brings together residents, welfare organizations, the municipality, and researchers to strengthen children’s resilience in Rotterdam’s neighborhoods of Bospolder-Tussendijken, Rubroek/Oud-Crooswijk, and Reyeroord. It identifies key places, people, and activities that foster resilience and explores ways to enhance these resources, aiming to support children across the city.
Additionally, I have been awarded a Resilient Delta Kick-Starter grant for my project KIDGREENS (Kids Innovating Designs for Green, Resilient, Eco-friendly NeighborhoodS). The KIDGREENS project empowers children to become co-researchers, investigating and shaping their neighborhoods through participatory action research. By exploring resilience in urban areas, children will propose and implement innovative solutions to improve their communities. The project also aims to expand knowledge on collaborative research with children and foster youth-led collective action.
As a researcher, I have a passion for advancing inclusive methodologies and amplifying marginalized voices in research. My work focuses on developing transformative approaches in participatory action research, ensuring that children’s perspectives—particularly those from marginalized groups—are not just included but drive meaningful change. In addition to academic rigor, I bring a strategic vision to research design, combining cutting-edge digital tools with a focus on ethical engagement. My ultimate goal is to co-create knowledge that transforms policies, practices, and lives, one collaborative step at a time.
Please find my CV here.