Involving youth in community health initiatives is a key element to successfully reaching adolescents with public health messages. Adults supporting youth in youth peer educator programs and other youth focused programs work collaboratively with youth to prevent disease and promote community heath through youth-to-youth and intergenerational education, advocacy, and participation in community events. Viewing youth as resources and creating a protective environment to foster resiliency are essential to keeping youth involved. Some of the challenges facing adults are recruiting youth, advocating for youth within the agency, training other adults to work with youth, crisis intervention and building relationships with diverse young people. Adults advocating for youth need training in setting personal boundaries, intervention and referral techniques, youth supervision, program evaluation, training skills, group facilitation, team building and cultural competence. Working with program in many community, school and residential settings for the past 10 years the authors have developed strategies to support successful youth/adult collaborations. This presentation will review mechanisms for involving youth in community health initiatives, especially ones targeted for youth.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify strategies for involving youth in decision-making and program planning and implementation. 2. Identify strategies for training adults and youth workers to view youth as resources
Keywords: Adolescents, Community Outreach
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.