Price-Mitchell's research is in the field of positive youth development. Her 2010 research study, Civic Learning at the Edge: Transformative Stories of Highly Engaged Youth, explored how young people experienced and met the challenges of civic engagement during the formative adolescent and young adult years.[6] It examined how these youth developed initiative for public service, learned from experiences and adult relationships, and constructed meaning that propelled them to take action in the world.[14] Following the completion of her study, Price-Mitchell received the Elizabeth Douvan Post-Doctoral Fellowship,[15] an annual donor-funded scholarship, to continue her research with civically engaged youth. Price-Mitchell's research was used to support the development of GenerationOn, the youth division of Points of Light.[16] It also provided the foundation for Price-Mitchell's book, Tomorrow’s Change Makers: Reclaiming the Power of Citizenship for a New Generation (Eagle Harbor Publishing, 2015)[17][18][19] where she introduced a new framework to understand positive youth development called "The Compass Advantage".[20][21] The framework is being used by schools and communities worldwide[22][23][24] to foster core abilities in youth.[25][26]
Price-Mitchell's linking of boundary dynamics and parental engagement was cited in length in the book The Crucial Voice of the People, Past and Present: Education's Missing Ingredient, by Victoria M. Young.[27] Her work in positive youth development and positive education has been cited in numerous other books including The Practice of Teaching by Allan Ornstein,[28] Beyond Smart by Linda Morgan,[9] Masculinities in Contemporary American Culture: An Intersectional Approach by Thomas Keith,[29] and Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Parental Engagement with Children’s Learning by Janet Goodall.[30]
Price-Mitchell is the founder of Roots of Action, a website that offers insights and research on child and adolescent development, education, and positive psychology.[31] She authors the column The Moment of Youth for Psychology Today[10] and is a blogger for Edutopia, a web resource for educators provided by the George Lucas Educational Foundation.[32] Her writing has been featured in The Henry Ford Magazine[33] and she has been interviewed on the topic of youth development by podcasters.[34][35]
She has been quoted or covered in various media outlets including NBC News,[36] Today,[37] Parents.com,[38] Modern Mom,[39] Arkansas Matters,[40] and Deseret News.[41] Numerous scholarly journal articles and books have cited her works.[42][43][44][45][46][47]
