The purpose of conversation is to explore the impact of hope in the context of research and the classroom. Dr. Martin shows how mixed methods and the Speaking for Ourselves Action Research (SOAR) approach is applied. Her conceptual model applies concepts of hope, specifically critical hope (Freire, 1994; Duncan-Andrade, 2009; Hooks, 2003). This concept is a place where we can have meaningful dialogues that confront our own bias and complicities, and together find solutions that are just, hopeful, and local. By integrating art-based techniques, Dr. Martin shows how hope can play an integral role in research and the classroom itself. She will also share different voices from the field that have played a significant role in educating her own hope. It is her belief that when communities produce their own knowledge, they can drive public policies to support their own creative and meaningful solutions.