Connecting the Disconnected: Participatory Research by Youth, About Youth

Out of school and unemployed youth are amongst the most difficult populations to reach and their need for services is extreme in Boston's Grove Hall neighborhood. Youth researchers participated in the design, administration, analysis and dissemination of the study "Connecting the Disconnected". While the finding suggested significant differences for youth who were both unemployed and out of school in areas of exposure to violence, connections to adults and other risk factors, participant youth made a greater impact in presenting the methods and the findings in their own voice and from their own perspective. In this session we will capture the process of engaging, preparing and supporting youth from start to finish. Youth engaged in the decision making about the goals of the research, the design and development of the survey tool, live testing of questions, conducting of focus groups, administration of over 1200 surveys, managing and conducting data entry, analysis of the data, testing of the findings, preparation of presentations, design of the report document and public and private presentations of the findings to academicians, policy makers, community members, youth and funders in their community. The process included organized reflection and decision making opportunities for youth throughout the process. Most importantly the youth researchers were “disconnected” youth themselves, many having the characteristics of the community they were targeting with the survey: dropped out, unemployed, young parent, juvenile and adult court involvement, gang involvement, witness/relationship to violence.