Young co-researchers reflections on a community-university partnership

Establishing successful, sustained, university-community partnerships is an essential strategy for building capacity of both researchers and community leaders; and for achieving a more balanced distribution of power in the production of knowledge. As project co-researchers, we reflect on our diverse experiences conducting a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study. The first author, born and raised in Puerto Rico, is pursuing doctoral studies in Chicago; the second author is a youth leader in Chicago's Puerto Rican community in Humboldt Park. The purpose of this project was to inquire about ‘place attachment' among Puerto Rican youth as it relates to civic engagement for a community of wellness, using qualitative methods in the form of PhotoVoice, including: photography, group discussions, and narrative writings. Twelve Puerto Rican/Latino youth ages 16 to 20 were recruited through the referrals from community institutions. We will discuss how our collaboration began, the role that each co-researcher played, community ‘insider/outsider issues', the significance of previously established community-university connections, and the ways in which the community took project ownership (e.g., poster exhibition, community disseminations, translation for local educators, youth leadership development, publication in local media). As beginners and young ‘researchers', we benefited from each other's support, proactively building upon each other's strengths to balance our weaknesses. Moreover, a shared cultural heritage and lived experiences as students of color contributed to the development of a strong working relationship. Lessons learned included: dealing with ethical issues related to conducting research with youth, respecting organizational culture, and managing competing priorities and deadlines.