Information is power. When young people participate in conducting and analyzing research on their communities, they shape action that improves their neighborhoods, programs and community institutions. Evaluation and Action Research enables young people to take the lead in information-gathering projects that look at how communities and programs can be more responsive to youth needs and viewpoints. Projects can include community mapping, community assessments, case studies, program evaluations and others.

How We Support Evaluation and Action Research

YLI provides young people and their adult allies with the training, tools and support to design and carry out program evaluations and action research projects. YLI also helps youth and adults create action plans based on their research, and hold community events where recommendations can be provided to key decisionmakers — like elected officials, government staff, foundation representatives, school board members and others.

YLI's Evaluation and Action Research services are customized to the needs of participating individuals and organizations. We use a five-step process designed to identify research goals and to make sure that youth and adults have the training and ongoing support they need to achieve them. Learn more about the five-step process for projects.
YLI provides a wide variety of tools for use by youth/adult evaluation and research teams:

    * A comprehensive youth development survey that measures whether a program or setting is providing young people with the five science-based standards of practice (safe environments, leadership and advocacy, community engagement, skill-building, and relationships with their peers and with adults)
    * Customized tools to measure program outcomes
    * Assessment tools that measure environmental factors that contribute to high-risk behaviors (violence, harassment, alcohol/tobacco/drug use)

Check out our partnerships page to learn about some of our projects.

For more information on how YLI can help your organization with youth-led Evaluation and Action Research, contact us.