Tucson Poverty Project
Goals
The Tucson Poverty Project brings University of Arizona students, faculty, and community partners together to understand the causes and consequences of poverty in Southern Arizona and identify ways to build a more equitable and prosperous community.
Poverty is more than a lack of income; it is shaped by access to affordable housing, education, health care, transportation, employment, and other opportunities. Our goal is to understand how these conditions affect people's lives and how research can inform practical solutions. Students work alongside faculty and community organizations to conduct original research with local households, analyze data, and share findings with community leaders and policymakers.
Since 2015, the project has collected information from thousands of households across Pima County, building a valuable picture of the challenges families face and the resources they need to thrive. Our research helps community partners evaluate existing programs, identify gaps in services, and develop evidence-based policies and initiatives to address poverty.
Through the Poverty Policy Research Fellowships, students can also pursue paid research internships partnering directly with local government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Fellows investigate innovative approaches to addressing poverty and develop policy briefs and case studies that document promising solutions and help community partners apply research to real-world challenges. These experiences allow students to contribute to ongoing policy discussions while developing practical skills in research, policy analysis, and public communication.
The Tucson Poverty Project is an opportunity for students to learn by doing. Students develop skills in research design, interviewing, data analysis, teamwork, and communicating findings to public audiences. They learn to connect academic ideas to real-world challenges while working with community partners whose knowledge and experiences are essential to understanding poverty.
Students from sociology, public health, public policy, economics, and other disciplines can contribute their perspectives and skills. By combining rigorous research, hands-on learning, and meaningful community collaboration, we aim to produce knowledge that makes a difference while preparing students to become thoughtful, engaged professionals and citizens.
Issues Involved or Addressed
The Tucson Poverty Project takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding poverty, inequality, and opportunity in Southern Arizona. Our work draws on sociology, public policy, public health, economics, urban studies, and community-engaged research to investigate how social, economic, and institutional conditions shape people's lives. Students explore questions related to affordable housing and homelessness, health care access, employment and economic security, transportation, education, and barriers to accessing public services. We also examine how local policies, government programs, and nonprofit initiatives can reduce poverty and expand opportunities for individuals and families.
Key areas of inquiry include:
- Poverty and Social Inequality: Understanding the structural causes and consequences of poverty.
- Housing and Neighborhoods: Examining housing affordability, housing insecurity, and community development.
- Health and Well-Being: Investigating how poverty shapes health care access and health outcomes.
- Public Policy and Social Programs: Evaluating policies and identifying evidence-based approaches to reducing poverty.
- Community-Engaged Research: Partnering with households, community organizations, and local agencies to produce research that addresses real-world needs.
- Applied Policy Research: Developing policy briefs and case studies on innovative solutions through the Poverty Policy Research Fellowship.
- Experiential and Collaborative Learning: Building practical skills in interviewing, survey research, data analysis, policy evaluation, and communicating findings to public audiences.
Academic Majors of Interest
Majors of particular interest:
- Sociology
- Public Affairs
- Economics
- Political Science
- Public Health
- Care, Health and Society
- Urban and Regional Development
- Geography
- Human Development and Family Science
- Criminal Justice Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Communication
- Data Science
- Statistics and Data Science
Students from all majors are welcome!
We especially encourage students interested in poverty, social inequality, public policy, community development, health disparities, nonprofit organizations, and applied social research.
Preferred Interests and Preparation
Skills:
- Curiosity about poverty, inequality, and social policy
- Interest in research and evidence-based-problem-solving
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Critical thinking and analytical reasoning
- Willingness to learn research methods and data analysis
- Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines
- Interest in translating research into practical solutions
Attributes:
- Empathy and respect for diverse lived experiences
- Open-mindedness and willingness to challenge assumptions
- Commitment to community engagement and public service
- Reliability and attention to detail
- Initiative and willingness to learn
- Respect for confidentiality and research ethics
- Interest in working with community organizations and local agencies
- Commitment to understanding poverty without stigma or stereotypes
Application Process
To express interest in this team, please complete the VIP Interest Form and select "Tucson Poverty Project."
This team
- Accepts students at the start of each semester.
- Only recruits undergraduate students.
- Recruits students for both credit and pay options (as available, including federal work-study) for VIP participation.