Youth-Guided Youth Engagement: Participatory Action Research (PAR) With High-Risk, Marginalized Youth

Abstract

Engaging youth who live with high-risk, marginalized conditions presents a significant challenge in our society, considering the prevalence of disconnect and distrust they often experience within their social environments/systems. Yet, meaningful youth engagement is a key concept not only for youth development, but also for a systems change to more effectively support high-risk youth and families. This article presents a framework of youth engagement developed over 9 months, using participatory action research (PAR) with 16 youth leaders in a community-based research team. Although this framework has incorporated the youth leaders’ lived experiences, talents, and voices, positive youth development (PYD) and social justice youth development (SJYD) have theoretically contextualized our research. Youth leaders guided the framework's development, including the identification of key themes/dimensions, definitions, and practical examples. The framework's three components—“Basis” (philosophy and principles), “What” (goals/outcomes), and “How” (actions/processes/pathways to change)—are supported by nine themes described in this article.

KEYWORDS:

• at-risk youth
• community engagement
• high-risk youth
• youth development
• youth engagement

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors sincerely thank the youth leaders in our Youth 4 YEG Team, who have contributed to the development of our framework of youth engagement: Daniel Berland, Lynda Bulimo, Saima Butt, Brandon Chapman, Paschaline DaCosta, Giorgio Dechambre, Ruby Dechambre, Myranda Drummond, Drsane Kaffa, Fredrique MacDougal, Dylan McCarthy, Renee Pelletier, Maegan Robinson-Anagor, Rita Rwigamba, Christopher Severight, Noreen Sibanda, Alijah Thomas, Isabella Turner, Nikki Webb, Stephenie White, and Tania Ymbi, along with two graduate research assistants, Daena Crosby and David St Arnault.