To engage critically in their communities, young people must be equipped to identify and study problems that directly affect them. Our qualitative study reveals that youth participatory action research (YPAR) is one such approach, disclosing and affirming inherent gifts and talents in youth while collaboratively developing within them the critical skills to affect social change. We analyzed interviews, focus groups, participant observations, and student writing across 17 classrooms serving 290 students in two high schools to explore what students articulated learning through a YPAR curriculum. Students confidently claimed new roles and were transformed by the process. Our findings suggest that students engaged in YPAR have opportunities to develop skills they may not otherwise acquire within a traditional teacher-centered classroom.