Learning community strengths: The practice of youth engagement in youth programs


Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

3229.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - 2:30 PM

Abstract #110055

Raphael Travis, MSW, School of Public Health (Community Health Sciences), UCLA, 1072 Gayley Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024, 310-794-8327, rtravis@ucla.edu and Maisie Chin, MA, CADRE, 3655 South Grand Ave., Suite 205, Los Angeles, CA 90007.

In 2003, the Los Angeles County Children's Planning Council and the City of Los Angeles Youth Council of the Workforce Investment Board partnered to assess the degree of youth engagement occurring among regional programs serving youth. Youth engagement refers to the degree that youth are meaningfully participating in the decisions that affect their quality of life. This study sought to assess evidence regarding (1) type and frequency of youth engagement strategies being employed; (2) program impact on youth such as education beyond high school and employability; (3) the relationship between youth engagement strategies and program impact; (4) program strategies associated with higher levels of youth engagement. Results are from a convenience sample that began with a core group of programs familiar to members of the Taskforce, followed by snowball sampling. A structured interview was conducted by telephone for 50 programs to capture four specific themes: (1) youth development, (2) youth engagement in leadership and decision-making, (3) civic engagement, and (4) perceived program outcomes. Preliminary results indicate that in this sample, (1) Many youth-serving organizations are practicing concrete youth engagement; (2) programs report long-term program impact on education, training, and employment; (3) youth engagement levels are higher in high-impact programs; and (4) youth engagement is more likely to emerge from commitment to youth development and civic engagement. The results serve as a snapshot of the current landscape of youth programs and a foundation upon which our movement for youth engagement must build.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will

•Learn how the concept of youth engagement is interpreted in some youth settings
•Learn how utilization of youth engagement has the potential to impact youth participants
•Learn the degree that youth engagement may be interrelated with other youth serving strategies

Keywords: Adolescents, Community Assets

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

APHA Student Assembly Poster Session I

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA