This brief primer provides an overview of youth participatory action research (YPAR). YPAR is a promising approach for elevating youth voices in mentoring programs to create positive change. As mentoring programs aim to develop more equitable practices and contribute to societal change, it is imperative for youth to take the lead because they are the most impacted by conditions of societal inequality and are therefore best positioned to identify solutions. Youth-centered relationships, a cornerstone of mentoring programs, are also a key component of YPAR. This provides a valuable foundation of shared values to build upon for programs that seek to incorporate YPAR into their practices.