Protecting adolescent brilliance.
US-Squared Research Institute is a justice-centered research institute. We study, fund, and credential the brilliance already happening in communities the traditional system cannot see — through Atlas ERA, Atlas Academy, Altered Earth Press, Sparent Science, and Feelings Unplugged.
We find the people already doing the work.
The embargo on brilliance is structural. Young people are not failing — they are being failed by institutions that were never designed to see them. US-Squared doesn't build another institution. We build the research, the network, and the tools that connect the ones already fighting back.
We fund practitioners. We affirm communities. We credential learning wherever it actually happens — not just in the buildings we control.
Five properties. One institute.
Each property connects practitioners, funds their work, and credentials the brilliance already happening in communities the traditional system cannot see.
Sparent Science
Monthly research-backed tools for the educators, mentors, caregivers, and coaches who surround young people.
When Your Teenager Won't Talk
Adolescent silence is data, not rejection. This issue breaks down the science of teen withdrawal and gives you three evidence-based approaches for reconnecting without pressure.
Ask one open question today — not “How was school?” but “What's something you're thinking about?” Then wait.
Looking for a hands-on tool to pair with this month's issue? Feelings Unplugged is a BASE Framework companion guide for the young people in your care.
The data behind the work.
Our programs aren't built on assumptions. They're built on peer-reviewed research, longitudinal data, and the lived experiences of the 7,000+ young people whose stories we've had the honor of studying.
Ten FAQs About Latent Transition Analysis
Nylund-Gibson, K., Garber, A. C., Carter, D. B., Chan, M., Arch, D. A. N., Simon, O., Whaling, K., Tartt, E., & Lawrie, S. I. (2023). Ten frequently asked questions about latent transition analysis. Psychological Methods, 28(2), 284–300. doi:10.1037/met0000486
Unraveling Hopelessness
Tartt, E. L. (2023). Unraveling hopelessness: A latent class analysis of Black adolescent student experiences [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara]. eScholarship.
Brilliance · Authenticity · Self-Expression · Empowerment
A justice-centered developmental framework for programs serving Black and Brown youth, derived from dissertation research and community practice. The BASE Framework is the pedagogical spine of the institute's work — the counter-architecture to every institution that told a young person their brilliance was a problem.
“These young people weren't hopeless. They were under-resourced, over-surveilled, and under-believed. The data just confirmed what they already knew.” Dr. Erica L. Tartt, PhD · Founder & Research Director, US-Squared Research InstituteView all research