One purpose of the YEP project was to test and refine existing models of youth engagement in the policy process. We wanted to expand upon existing research by documenting a framework for authentically engaging youth in the policy process that reflected not only research, but the practice and expertise of our research group members. That required the group to have a shared understanding of the existing research and what we meant by authentic engagement. This page describes the work we did within and outside of research group meetings to build this shared understanding.
Building a shared understanding of youth engagement in the policy process
While we were recruiting grantee organizations and research group members, we created an initial framework based on the research of Samantha Holquist and Julie Petrokubi. Because this is a CEnR project, our goal was to create a framework grounded in this pre-existing research, informed by the expertise of our research group members, and refined through this qualitative study of how the five selected grantee organizations engaged youth in their policy efforts. This means there were multiple points throughout the project where we asked research group members to review the framework, engage with the questions we were trying to answer, and create a shared understanding of authentic youth engagement in policy.
The research group members were first introduced to the framework as a follow up from the individual kickoff meeting. We asked them to review the framework before our first full group meeting, where we facilitated activities that helped ground everyone in the following questions:
- How are youth involved?
- At what stages are youth engaged?
- How do organizations empower and support youth?
- What local factors help or hinder authentic youth engagement?
- What outcomes are achieved through authentic youth engagement?
A bit later in the project, we revisited the framework by offering drop-in meetings, where research group members could choose one of two meetings to attend. Each of the two meetings dove deeply into two sections of the framework through facilitated discussion and activities.
It was important for us to create this shared understanding so that we could create a meaningful tool informed by research and experiences for readers to examine their own work and opportunities to expand and support authentic youth engagement in the policy process.
Example Facilitation Guides
- YEP Meeting 2 - Full Group Facilitation Guide – This facilitation guide includes an activity with discussion questions for research group members to react to and interact with components of the framework.
- YEP Meeting 2 - Full Group Slides – The slides to accompany the facilitation guide with activities to introduce the framework.
- YEP Meeting 5 - Framework Drop In Facilitation Guide – This facilitation guide details two meetings where we gathered information about the experiences of our research group members as it relates to the components of the framework.
- YEP Meeting 5 - Framework Drop In Slides – The slides to accompany the meetings focused on gathering information for the framework components.
The Youth Engagement in Policy Research Group brought together young leaders and practitioners from across the country: Jamya Clark and Faith Robinson (New Orleans Youth Alliance); Teddy DeLeon-Alvarado, Blandina Flores, and Sam Joo (Para Los Niños); Iziko Calderon and Brisia Gutierrez (Los Angeles Opportunity Youth Collaborative); Nadirra Monrose and Tony Turner (Center for Fair Futures); and Deven Rudy-Johnson, MSW, and Kyra Stoute (Georgia EmpowerMEnt). Child Trends staff included principal investigators Amy McKlindon and Samantha Holquist; researchers Alyssa Scott, Ja’Chelle Ball, Jessica Conway, and Sage Caballero; and senior advisors Karin Malm and Elizabeth Jordan (Child Trends) and Julie Petrokubi (Education Northwest).
If you have questions about the Authentic Youth Engagement in Policy Project, please contact co-Principal Investigators Amy McKlindon at amcklindon@childtrends.org and Samantha E. Holquist at sholquist@childtrends.org.
This study is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation through its Foster Youth and Opportunity Youth Initiatives.