Laura Wright

Laura Wright is a Lecturer in Childhood Studies at the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport, affiliated with the Institute for Education, Community & Society (IECS). She also serves as Director of Participatory Methodologies at the International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD). Her work spans 15 years, focusing on participatory methodologies, children’s rights, social justice, mental health, and child protection across diverse global contexts including Canada, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Qualifications include a PhD in Social Policy (University of Edinburgh), M.A. in Global Leadership (Royal Roads University), M.Ed. in Sociology and Equity Studies in Education (University of Toronto), and a B.A. in International Relations (University of British Columbia). She holds leadership roles in multiple initiatives, including the Children and Young People Thematic Hub Leadership Team, the Childhood and Youth Studies CAHSS Theme, and the Child Safety Data Institute Ethics Committee.

Her research emphasizes play and arts-based participatory methods, intergenerational partnerships, and child/youth activism. Notable projects include the UK’s Mobile Arts for Peace Grant (2022–2024) and the Global Child Rights Partnership (2021–2028). She actively advises on child protection strategies and co-designs participatory research frameworks with young people, particularly in vulnerable contexts.

Teaching focuses on children’s rights policy, global childhoods, social justice in early years education, and participatory research practices. She supervises PhD students exploring topics like emotional literacy in children’s literature and Indigenous philosophies in child protection. Laura’s work bridges academic research with actionable strategies for systemic change in education, health, and child welfare sectors.