The Integrating Literacies Project explores the nature of work and communication in the lives of Latinx youth. Our aim is to generate knowledge about young people’s work-related communication skills and strengths, and the conditions that encourage their development. The project’s practical goal is to inform programs and policies that shape the career opportunities and trajectories of Latinx youth.

Latinx youth in our study participate in work-study placements and college-preparatory academic work. In addition to examining their communication practices in these settings, we include contexts of unpaid and often unrecognized work. By studying their development of communication skills and identities across contexts, we can build richer, more nuanced understandings of their potential and the factors that support their successful preparation for rewarding careers.