This page focuses on the management required to plan for data collection for the YEP project. Early setup of effective structures with reflective practices and ability to be responsive to team needs will ensure safe, secure, and effective data collection.
Institutional Review Board
For this project, we submitted an exemption application from the Child Trends Institutional Review Board (IRB). In our cover letter, we provided the following rationale as to why this project did not meet the definition of human subjects research:
Child Trends’ role to understand examples of youth engagement in policy advocacy among the Foundation’s grantees does not meet the definition of human subjects research. Specifically, the interviews and focus groups conducted will focus on examples of youth engagement in policy advocacy, not on information obtained about individuals. The information Child Trends reports back to the Foundation will inform their understanding of youth engagement in policy advocacy efforts among their grantees as well as future funding and strategic goal achievement. These findings will focus on examples from five grantees’ efforts and are not generalizable.
Consent forms
Because our IRB determined this project was exempt since it did not meet the definition of human subjects research, we were not required to create consent forms and have participants sign them.
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.