Enabling youth participation in school-based computer-supported community development in Canada

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Youth Development
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Schools serve as primary settings for youth health promotion.
• Community development (CD) projects in schools can empower young people.
• Understanding factors influencing youth participation in school-based CD is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore enabling and constraining factors for youth in a school-based computer-supported community development (CD) project.
• To identify intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting youth engagement and project success.
• To inform strategies for effective school-based health promotion and youth resiliency.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative case study in an inner-city Canadian school.
• Involved 19 students (grades 7-8) and 4 adult facilitators over 12 weeks.
• Data collection via interviews, observation, online content analysis, and surveys; analyzed using constant comparison and triangulation.

Main Results:

• Intrinsic enabling factors: youth perception of making a difference, recognition, and ownership.
• Extrinsic enabling factors: flexible activities, supportive adults/community, incentives.
• Intrinsic constraining factors: slow pace, consensus difficulties. Extrinsic constraining factors: school disruptions, lack of buy-in, resource demands.

Conclusions:

• Youth participation in school-based CD is shaped by a complex interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
• Perceived impact, ownership, and supportive environments are vital for youth engagement.
• Addressing constraints like school schedules and resource limitations is necessary for successful school-based CD and promoting youth resiliency.