Safety 7: Plan to Share Findings

The Safety 7 research team designed a youth-led dissemination strategy to ensure their findings on community violence in Wards 7 and 8 would reach the people most impacted and in positions to act. Across 10 sessions, youth researchers worked together to decide what to share, who to share it with, and how to make the data meaningful and actionable. These decisions were made through group discussions, with adult facilitators offering structure and support. The approach centered youth voice at every step, reflecting their priorities for safety, community care, and change. 

Choose audiences to share findings with 

Youth researchers began by brainstorming who needed to hear their findings. They prioritized people with personal and professional power to improve safety in DC communities. Selected audiences included: 

• Young people and families living in Wards 7 and 8 
• Teachers, counselors, and school leaders 
• Community-based organizations and service providers 
• Local government leaders, including councilmembers and agency staff 
• Broader DC residents and national stakeholders working on community violence prevention 

Youth were especially clear that findings should be shared with decisionmakers and the community, including people who are often overlooked in conversations about safety and policy change. 

Decide how to share findings 

After choosing their audiences, the group explored ways to share findings that would be interactive, respectful, and accessible. They ultimately decided to host two data walks: one local and one virtual. 

• Local data walk: Youth selected a community space in Washington, DC as the site for an in-person data walk. They chose this format because they wanted community members to physically engage with findings, ask questions, and contribute feedback. Stations were designed around core themes (like “what safety looks like” and “barriers to feeling safe”), with visuals, data, and reflection prompts. Youth led each station and collected participant responses. 
• Virtual data walk: To reach audiences who could not attend in person, youth decided to create a virtual version of the data walk. This included narrated slides and visuals that guided participants through the findings. The team felt strongly that virtual access was essential for inclusion and sustainability. 

Additional sharing strategies included: 

• Flyers, posters, and one-pagers: Designed by youth using Canva and other tools to make findings easy to understand and visually engaging. 
• Social media: Youth created content shared through the Safety 7 Instagram and partner accounts to expand the reach of their work. 
• Direct outreach: Youth personally invited community leaders and peers to attend the events and followed up with the next steps and ways to stay involved. 
• Blog: A youth co-authored blog was developed to extend the reach of the findings shared during the data walks. It featured a summary of key insights and included a video walkthrough of the virtual data walk. Due to limited availability of the youth team, adult facilitators took the lead on drafting the piece. However, youth reviewed the final version, provided edits, and approved the content to ensure it reflected their voices and priorities. 
• Digital report: A youth co-authored digital report was created to document the project’s purpose, research methods, key findings, and recommendations. While adult facilitators led the drafting process due to youth time constraints, youth researchers reviewed and edited the final version to confirm that the report accurately represented their perspectives and contributions. 

Develop materials to share findings 

Youth led the development of most of the dissemination materials (besides the blog and digital report as previously mentioned), drawing on their lived experiences, creativity, and collaborative decision-making. Their process included several key steps: 

• Sensemaking and prioritization: Youth began by reviewing the data collected through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. In a series of structured meaning-making sessions (see “Interpreting the Findings”), they discussed what stood out, what felt emotionally important, and what findings best captured the experiences of young people in their communities. From these conversations, they selected core findings to highlight in their dissemination efforts. These findings balanced both the challenges young people face and the sources of strength and resilience within their neighborhoods. 
• Design and messaging: With key findings identified, youth turned their attention to how findings should be presented. They used tools like Canva and Google Slides to create graphics, posters, and presentation slides. Youth worked together to write summaries of each finding using accessible, community-friendly language. They also developed short elevator pitches to help them explain the findings and the purpose of the project when speaking with stakeholders. Throughout the process, they paid close attention to tone, visual style, and clarity to ensure materials would feel respectful, trustworthy, and relatable. 
• Feedback and revision: Once initial drafts of the materials were complete, youth held feedback sessions to refine them. Youth provided constructive input to each other, offering suggestions on how to improve both language and visuals. These sessions created space for collaboration and growth, ensuring that every piece of content reflected the shared voice of the group rather than one individual perspective. 
• Event planning and logistics: In preparation for both the in-person and virtual data walks, each youth researcher took on a leadership role aligned with their interests and strengths. These roles included coordinating food and hospitality, securing and setting up event space, designing outreach flyers, managing digital materials, and preparing facilitation scripts. Youth created checklists and timelines to stay organized, and adult facilitators supported by handling logistics that required adult credentials or institutional access, such as reserving venues or purchasing supplies.