What does it take to partner with young people on alcohol prevention research and evaluation: Lessons learned from successful youth-adult partnerships

This presentation focuses on the Youth Leadership Institute's (YLI) partnerships with young people on research and evaluation to drive and evaluate environmental prevention initiatives to control alcohol availability and reduce underage drinking in their communities. YLI has trained and supported groups of young people to conduct community assessments and use their findings in successful alcohol and tobacco policy advocacy and other environmental change campaigns in cities and counties throughout California. YLI has also trained and supported groups of young people to evaluate community and school alcohol prevention programs. Young people, in partnership with adults, develop research questions; choose methods to answer those questions; develop a comprehensive research plan; develop and pilot tools, collect data through methods that include surveys, observation, interviews, focus groups, archival data analysis, community mapping, and others; analyze data; and disseminate findings and recommendations.

A youth-adult partnership model of research and evaluation will be presented and discussed, including: 1) training needs for adults, including how to share power and create space for youth participation; 2) specific training needs of young people; 3) recruitment and retention of young people; 4) the structure, resources, and staffing needed; 5) implementation of a youth development framework; and 6) organizational readiness. Lessons learned and recommendations for successfully implementing this model will be shared for other groups and communities that wish to engage young people in alcohol related research and evaluation.