Rebecka M Bloomer , Ph.D., MSSW

Dr. Rebecka Bloomer is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work in the College of Allied Health Sciences at UC. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from the Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Sciences at the University of Louisville (U of L). Dr. Bloomer has worked on projects focused on the role of social justice youth development in improving outcomes for youth with historically excluded identities. She is currently co-leading a research evaluation project centering youth workers' professional development in social justice youth development application. Dr. Bloomer is also leading collaborative research projects centering the lived experiences of immigrant and refugee youth and families. She has over a decade of social work practice and research experience working with youth and families in community-based education spaces. The overarching goal of Dr. Bloomer’s research is to contribute to the well-being of youth facing discrimination and oppression by using methods and analytic techniques that amplify their voices and build critical consciousness. Her research seeks to challenge the paternalistic nature of youth serving systems and promote liberation through community-based participatory research methods. Her expertise is critical qualitative methodology, arts-based approaches, and community-based participatory research, but she also engages in mixed-methods research designs.

Master of Science in Social Work: University of Louisville (Social Work)

Doctorate of Philosophy: University of Louisville 2021 (Social Work)

Immigrant and refugee youth and families, Social Justice Youth Development, ethnic community-based organizations, community-based youth serving spaces, youth worker professional development, ethnic-based community spaces, youth-participatory action research, photovoice, arts-based research

Peer Reviewed Publications

Bloomer, R., Harris, L.M., Brown, A. & Crosby, S. (2022. ) Exploring the promotion of youth voice in community-based youth development programs.Child & Family Social Work, , More Information

Harris, L., Williams, S., Nygeres, E., Bloomer, R. (2022. ) Beyond #FreeBritney: Teaching social workers surrogate decision making through the Spears case.Journal of Social Work Education, , More Information

Bloomer, R., Brown., A., Winters, A., & Domiray, A. (2021. ) “Trying to be Everything Else”: Describing Youth Development Worker Experiences with Challenges in the Context of Out of School Time Settings.Child and Youth Services Review, , More Information

Bloomer, R., & Brown, A. (2024. ) Moving from Second Sight to Critical Consciousness Building: Using SJYD and YPAR to Promote Praxis in Out-of-School Time.Children and Schools, , 46 (4 ) ,213 More Information

Storer, H.L., Bloomer, R., Malorni, A., Nyerges, E.X., & Borja, S. (2025. ) “A pipeline for youth voice”: An exploratory analysis of empowerment-focused youth development programming at organizations serving survivors of intimate partner violence .Family and Community Health, ,

King., K.M., Brown, A., Della, L., Elmore, S., Hartson, K., O’Neal, C., Bloomer, R., Perez, A., Gunderson, C. (2025. ) Family and Community Health, , 48 (2 ) , More Information

Paper Presentations

Bloomer, R. Brown, A., & Williams, S. (2025. ) Critical consciousness building in out of school time .Seattle, WA. Conference. Level:National

Bloomer, R., Chipalo, E., Obasi, I., & Mwima, S. (2025. ) Social ecological determinants of cumulative adverse childhood experiences among children in households in the United States .Seattle, WA. Conference. Level:National

Harris, L., Byun, K., Bloomer, R., Williams, S., Winters, A.M., Thang, N.D., Osezua, V., Sato., D. (2024. ) Art-Making as Inquiry: Utilizing Interdisciplinary Expertise to Create an Arts-Based Program for Youth Impacted by HIV/AIDS in Hai Phong, Vietnam .Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea. Conference. Level:International

Harris, L., Byun, K., Bloomer, R., Williams, S., Winters, A.M., Thang, N.D., Osezua, V., Sato., D. (2024. ) Our World Our Say: Leveraging Arts to Promote Health Equity in Partnership with Youth Impacted by HIV/AIDS in Hai Phong, Vietnam .Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea. Conference. Level:International

Bloomer, R. & Farah, A (2023. ) Creating community spaces of care for foreign-born residents: Expanding social work and library collaborations .Atlanta, GA. Conference. Level:National

Bloomer, R., Farah, A., & Chipalo, E (2025. ) Untold Stories: Youth Participatory Action Research with Refugee Youth .Nova Scotia, Canada. Conference. Level:International

Academic - Health Sciences Bldg
3225 Eden Ave
Cincinnati  Ohio, 45267
bloomera@ucmail.uc.edu