Missouri Youth Engagement Demonstration Project

2017

Project Goal and Outcomes Provide youth, both with and without disabilities, a learning experience that teaches them skills on how to research and define a community based concern, design a project to address the concern, develop community support for the project, implement the project, and finally, evaluate the results of the project. Through participating in this learning experience, youth will gain knowledge and skills on how to: Collaborate with others and work as a team Conduct research Use research findings to identify a community concern Design a community action project Secure resources and develop community support Implement a community action project Evaluate outcomes of community action project Identify a youth engagement approach that can be replicated in other communities in Missouri. Approach 1. Select two communities in Missouri to participate in the project (Probably one urban and one rural) and secure community collaborators/partners (schools, churches, 4H, etc.), as well as mentors 2. Recruit youth, both with and without disability, to participate in the project. (Between 7 to 10 youth at each location, no more than 50% with a disability) 3. Conduct initial participatory action research (PAR) and leadership training 4. Do community based research and identify a community action project 5. Secure support for community action project and conduct project 6. Evaluate community action project 7. Evaluate outcomes of MO Youth Engagement Demonstration approach with regards to replication

Youth engagement; self-advocacy; participatory action research

Demonstration Services

Quality of Life

Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN

Specific Groups

Mulit-County

N/A