From Consultation to Shared Decision‐Making: Youth Engagement Strategies for Promoting School and Community Wellbeing

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The benefits of youth engagement are well documented. In this paper, we examine youth engagement in America's Promise Alliance's Every School Healthy initiative, a part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Together for Healthy and Successful Schools Initiative (...

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Published inThe Journal of school health Vol. 90; no. 12; pp. 976 - 984
Main Authors Sprague Martinez, Linda, Pufall Jones, Elizabeth, Connolly BA, Nico
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.12.2020
Wiley
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Subjects
Adolescent
Clinical decision making
Community health
Community Relations
Concept formation
Contributed
Decision Making, Shared
Health Promotion
Humans
Instructional Leadership
Participation
Pediatrics
Policy
Policy making
Referral and Consultation
School Community Programs
school health policy
Schools
school‐community partnerships
Teams
Well Being
WSCC model
Youth
youth engagement
youth voice
youth voice
WSCC model
youth engagement
school-community partnerships
school health policy
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Summary:ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The benefits of youth engagement are well documented. In this paper, we examine youth engagement in America's Promise Alliance's Every School Healthy initiative, a part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Together for Healthy and Successful Schools Initiative (THSS). METHODS Six community acceleration sites were selected through a competitive grant‐making process. Sites were required to describe youth engagement strategies. A case study design was employed to examine how sites conceptualize youth engagement as well as youth engagement strategies employed across 6 sites. Data sources included observations, team member debriefs, and document review. RESULTS There was variation in how youth engagement and youth voice are conceptualized in educational settings, and readiness for youth engagement. Sites actively solicited and implemented youth engagement resources and strategies. CONCLUSIONS By failing to engage young people, well‐intentioned adults miss important opportunities. Youth engagement presents an exciting opportunity for school leaders, policymakers, and program planners to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that influence individual and community health and wellbeing and, in turn, helps them to develop responsive policies and programs.
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Support for this initiative was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. We are grateful for the Foundation's support and leadership of this work. We thank the acceleration sites for their commitment to advancing the wellbeing of youth and their families as well as the openness to experimenting with organizational change to advance equity and justice. Adelante Mujeres, Alive and Well Communities, FIT2gether Cherokee County School District, Partnership for Child Health, Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness—you are all champions and we have learned so much from you over the last 3 years!
ISSN:0022-4391
1746-1561
1746-1561
DOI:10.1111/josh.12960