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Short Abstract

Beginit — a youth-led citizen science initiative in Kazakhstan where adolescents act as researchers and civic leaders. By investigating school route safety, presenting findings to local authorities and media, they transform data into action and gain a voice in local decision-making.

Abstract

This paper presents Beginit, a youth-led citizen science program in Kazakhstan where adolescents acted as researchers, advocates, and local change agents. The program’s premise is that children’s curiosity and civic awareness can grow into social leadership when they are provided not only with research tools but also with a public voice.

Implemented across ten regions and 97 small towns and rural settlements, Beginit engaged students aged 15 and 16 in investigating the safety of 500-metre school routes through surveys, participatory mapping, and focus groups with local administrations. The participants identified road hazards, developed data-informed proposals, and initiated dialogues with parents, teachers, and local deputies.

Through this process, children’s voices entered local decision-making: their findings were discussed in municipal meetings and reported by local media. What began as a technical data exercise evolved into civic inquiry, enabling young people to expand their “circle of responsibility” from identifying problems to advocating systemic solutions.

Beginit succeeded through mutual openness. Local administrations recognised youth as legitimate contributors, while facilitators ensured ethical inclusion and safety. This intergenerational collaboration helped challenge patriarchal norms restricting children’s participation.

Ultimately, Beginit demonstrates how youth-led citizen science operates as a democratic pedagogy, addressing real community issues while cultivating participatory leadership. The Kazakhstani case expands current understandings of citizen science, showing how research led by children can transform civic relations and reimagine social justice as lived, local practice.