Derived from the Spanish word "crecer," meaning "to grow," the Challenging Racism & Empowering Communities through Ethnocultural Research (CRECER) team is a community-based participatory research team within the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies at the University of Miami committed to social justice for ethnic minorities and immigrant populations through academic research and community intervention and engagement.

We seek to create and sustain intervention programs in schools, neighborhoods and community centers to address issues that are often overlooked by society. Our overarching mission is to encourage community empowerment through the development and sustainability of holistic programs for youth, families and organizations that promote psychological, physical, relational, and community health and wellbeing. This is achieved through collaborations and partnerships with local communities and a focus on the strengths of the community.