Delta State University’s Center for Community & Economic Development (CCED) is preparing to welcome faculty and staff from the University of Michigan, who will facilitate a workshop on youth-led research for 13-18 year olds from the Delta.
This workshop will be held from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. June 16, at the Center for Community and Economic Development located at 1417 College Street in Cleveland. Registration will held June 7–14, and is limited to 50 applicants.
The CCED is home to a number of initiatives that help to build the capacity of public and private sector organizations throughout the Delta – seeking to improve the quality of life for those living in the region. Serving primarily as an ally, advocate, and relationship builder to surrounding communities, CCED emphasizes strengthening individuals, families, groups, and organizations through education and collaboration – The University of Michigan School of Social Work has been a long-standing affiliate with the center’s directors and partners.
The interactive youth workshop will be taught by experts in the fields of Community-Based Research (CBR), social work, and youth organizing, who are highly skilled in encouraging youth participation in decision-making processes. University of Michigan faculty will teach young people about community-based research (CBR), a research approach that engages community members (in this case young people) on issues specific to their own community, and fully engages them through the research process. CBR also uses techniques that recognize the community member as the expert, valuing their own experiences and knowledge within their communities – different from that-of traditional research processes where community members are often viewed as subjects.
This workshop is designed to teach young people about the process of: identifying a problem, issue, or need; creating and using tools to gather information, or data, related to the topic; analyzing the information; identifying policies, or guidelines, that may affect the problem; then identifying possible solutions. The experts will show workshop participants how to use some creative and fun approaches to gathering information using surveys, interview and story-telling techniques. Not only has this method of sharing knowledge and skills been shown to effectively engage youth in research, but it serves as an approach that values youth experience, ability, and voice. This will also be a great opportunity for youth around the Delta to come together, share ideas and innovative ways to do work with their peers and within their communities.
Currently, the Michigan Youth and Community Program at The University of Michigan School of Social Work has a student intern working directly with the CCED Center Director, Deborah Moore, for the summer to help coordinate this effort, and other youth-related projects.
To register or for more information on this workshop, please e-mail YouthLedResearch@gmail.com, or call Christina Monroe at the Center for Community and Economic Development at (662) 846-4358.
