There's been an exciting development at work in the past month! We've been awarded funding to do a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project. The changes in the Office of Adolescent Health Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project grants hits me on so many levels both because it impacts the work we are able to do and because I know that the thousands of young people we see each year deserve access to high quality sexuality education. And there are thousands and thousands more young people who aren't getting it. While it wasn't new, I became really motivated to do what I can to contribute to the change we need around sexuality education and access to sexual/reproductive health care. As someone who believes deeply in the power, knowledge, and resources of young people, I see my role as really supporting efforts to bring youth voice to the forefront of this. Over the years, we've heard from young people that they want to have more of a say in the sex ed they are receiving. They are curious about why they are receiving the sex ed that they are, and how different it is or isn't from others places in Minnesota.
A description from YPAR Hub at Berkley says that "YPAR (Youth-led Participatory Action Research) is an innovative approach to positive youth and community development based in social justice principles in which young people are trained to conduct systematic research to improve their lives, their communities, and the institutions intended to serve them." Our goal with this YPAR project is to research what young people around Minnesota think about their sex ed and what they recommend changing, and to partner with young people who to increase their leadership in our field in developing research skills.
Long story short, I am so super excited that we have the opportunity to engage in YPAR. While I've done research before and have engaged young people in our programming, particularly sharing their insights and opinions, I haven't been part of a YPAR team before. It's going to be a learning experience and I am looking forward to it! I'll let you know how it goes.