Reconceptualizations of Migrant Youth Safety:

This qualitative, participatory study, guided by decolonial research theory and student-centered teaching methodologies, explores the complex experiences and perceptions of safety among migrant youth in Mae Sot, Thailand. Centered are the voices of twenty displaced youth from Myanmar/Burma, who were participants of a six-month Youth Champions fellowship hosted by The Inclusive Education Foundation in Mae Sot from July-December 2024. The study, conducted during the first four weeks of the fellowship, aimed to generate new knowledge on migrant youth safety through participatory research while also fostering youth personal and skill development through teaching and learning. In centering migrant youth perspectives, this research challenges dominant academic narratives and presents a framework for understanding safety that extends beyond traditional conceptualizations of migrant youth safety in international development