1.Engaging Youth in Making CommunitiesBetter Places for Young PeopleUniversity of California, DavisCalifornia Communities Program David Campbell Nancy ErbsteinMelanie Moore KuboJames Fabionar Whitney Wilcox Lisceth Cruz Carrasco Community Development Society Conference David Campbell UC Davis Memphis, TN July 27, 2009

2. Overview Describe the REACH Initiative Characterize the Setting & Stakes Ask: Why engage youth in community change? Share key findings Introduce Healthy Youth/Healthy Regions research projectDavid Campbell UC Davis 3. REACH Initiative - Goal and Timeline Sierra Health Foundation $5 million to grantees in 7communities in the Sacramento region. Three-year grant (2007-2010). Goal: Youth and adults working together in communities to increase supports and opportunities for all youth. David Campbell UC Davis 4. REACH Initiative - GranteesCommunityGrantee/Host Agency El Dorado Hills Vision Coalition of El Dorado Hills GaltGalt Joint Union High School District MeadowviewSacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT) Rancho Cordova Cordova Community CollaborativeSouth Sacramento Mutual Housing Association Sacramento WestCommuniCare Health Center of West SacramentoSacramento WoodlandYolo Family Resource CenterDavid Campbell UC Davis 5. SETTING AND STAKESDavid Campbell UC Davis 6. David Campbell UC Davis 7. David Campbell UC Davis 8. David Campbell UC Davis 9. Education Funding California drops from 21st to 35th in the country in per- 21ststudent funding 35th 1978 1985 1990 1995 2000 20052008Education Funding( om C pared to other states) Source: Sacramento ACT 10. Incarceration Rate Per Capita Incarceration 689 Increases 5 times 137 19801985 19901995200020062008California per Capita Incarceration Rate ( 100,000 residents)perSource: Sacramento ACT 11. David Campbell UC Davis 12. Population Size 20051,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 Population 800,000600,000400,000200,0000Amador ElDorado Nevada Placer Sacramento Solano Sutter Yolo YubaCenter for Regional Change UC Davis 13. David Campbell UC Davis 14. Population in Poverty, 2003 18 1614 Percent of Individuals Living Below Poverty Level 1210 864 2 0Amador ElDorado NevadaPlacer SacramentoSolano Sutter Yolo Yuba Center for Regional Change UC Davis 15. Race Distribution 100% 90% 80% 70%HispPct60% Percent per Category AsianPIPct50%AIPct BlkPct40% WhtPct 30% 20% 10%0% Amador ElDorado Nevada PlacerSacramento Solano Sutter Yolo Yuba Center for Regional Change UC Davis 16. Median 100,000 90,000 Incomes in Zip80,000 Code Areas70,000 60,000 Served by 50,000 40,000 REACH 30,000 20,000 10,0000EDH GALT MDVRC SSAC WSAC WOODDavid Campbell UC Davis 17. 35 Percent of30 Families25 Below Poverty 20 in Zip Code 15 Areas Served10 by REACH5 0EDHGALT MDV RC SSAC WSAC WOODDavid Campbell UC Davis 18. Percentage of 100Four Racial/Ethnic50Groups in 0 Local Public EDH GALT MDV RC SSAC WSAC WOODSchools White84 4 46 465 32 50 23 14 363940 36 56 Latino African-American1 2 241615 61 Asian- American 3 2 336 30 94David Campbell UC Davis 19. REACH Goal Youth and adults working together in communities to increase supports and opportunities for all youth.David Campbell UC Davis 20. What are some reasons we might want to engage youth in a community change effort?? What can they bring that is unique and valuable??David Campbell UC Davis 21. Some Rationales for Engaging Youth in Change To make a compelling case for investment to key decision-makers. To tap their labor and energy to accomplish specific projects. To model good youth development practice and offer some direct training to specific youth. To tap critical knowledge and insights that contribute to community strategy development. To mobilize their peers to promote important changes in youth practice. To create a strategic constituency that can organize to change adult practice/policy. UC DavisDavid Campbell 22. REACH Theory of Change and our Evaluation ApproachDavid Campbell UC Davis 23. Community Gambone Model Development Action Framework for YouthECImprove Developmental OutcomesBLearning to be productive Learning to connect Learning to navigate DImprove Long-TermOutcomes in AdulthoodA Economic self-sufficiency Healthy family and socialrelationships Community involvement Citation: Gambone, M.A., Klein, A.M. & Connell, J.P. (2002). Finding out What Matters for Youth; Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development. Philadelphia: David Campbell UC Davis Youth Development Strategies, Inc., and Institute for Research and Reform in Education. c 2002 by Youth Development Strategies, Inc. and the Institute for Research and Reform in Education 24. Community Action Framework for Youth Development Connell & Gambone 1998Build CommunityCapacity and ConditionsImprove YouthFor Change (E) Developmental Outcomes (B)Increase Supports & Opportunities for Youth (C)Implement CommunityImprove Long-Strategies to EnhanceTerm OutcomesSupports & Opportunities In Adulthood (A)For Youth (D) Youth Development Strategies, Inc. David Campbell UC Davis 25. Evaluation Design - Key Questions Does REACH: nurture viable coalitions and enhance community capacity to support youth development? promote youth engagement as a strategy to enhance youth development outcomes? increase meaningful supports and opportunities for youth in local communities? enhance youth development outcomes? suggest lessons for foundation practice and the broader field of community and youth development?David Campbell UC Davis 26. David Campbell UC Davis 27. The REACH Evaluation - Methods and Data Methods Qualitative design: semi-structured interviews, field observation, and review of key documents. Data Points Over a two-year period. 220 semi-structured interviews: 47 youth/173 adults 227 field observations Review of REACH documents and literatureDavid Campbell UC Davis 28. Key Preliminary Finding No clear rationale articulating the link between youth engagement and community change. The Gambone framework focuses on increasing/enhancing key developmental supports and opportunities for youth. It does not speak to the notion of youth as mechanisms for community change. David Campbell UC Davis 29. Central Tension Running a youth program versus focusing on a community change agenda. Youth programs Potential to divert resources from more direct actions of change. Pursuing a change agenda Require structures to work with youth where they are.David Campbell UC Davis 30. 3 General Approaches Adults Use to Engage Youth Focus on deep relationships with youth. Develop short-term, action oriented leadership and civic opportunities for youth. Pursue community change agenda and engage youth to advance the plan.David Campbell UC Davis 31. EDHGALTMDVSSAC RC WSAC WOD CommunityXXXXXX service Service learning XX XYouth media andXX public art YouthXXXX X philanthropy Youth-led XX research Youth civic XXX X engagement Youth organizingXXYouth in XX governance David Campbell UC Davis 32. Deeper Trouble for Coalitions Creating a strategic focus (r.t. doing lots of good things without clear goal) Specific outcome target Key partners at table Rationale for youth engagement Small set of headline indicators to track David Campbell UC Davis 33. Examples of strategic focus Reducing drug and alcohol abuse Decreasing high school dropout rate/increasing college matriculation rate Reducing number of 18-24 year olds that are out-of-school and out-of-workDavid Campbell UC Davis 34. Organizational Form Matters If goal is promoting community scale change, avoid funding orgs that run programs Instead, fund existing or start-up collaborative, coalition, or community organizing group David Campbell UC Davis 35. David Campbell UC Davis 36. David Campbell UC Davis 37. David Campbell UC Davis 38. David Campbell UC Davis 39. David Campbell UC Davis 40. Next Steps Healthy Youth, Healthy Regions Study See: http://regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/ Spatial data mapping Institutional network analysis Youth voices for change David Campbell UC Davis 41. For More Information REACH evaluation final report Nov. 2010 For information regarding the REACH initiative, visit:www.reachyouthprogram.orgwww.sierrahealth.orgTo view the REACH Interim Evaluation Report, visit: www.ccp.ucdavis.eduDavid Campbell UC Davis 42. How might you change your current practices to incorporateyouth engagement??David Campbell UC Davis