Engagement Core
Reimagining interactions between researchers, families, youth, and communities.
Interventions developed and implemented based on the needs of children, families, and communities are key to translational research.
Family, youth, and community (FYC) engagement can provide lived experience knowledge and represents an important step towards establishing trust with marginalized populations. Similarly, engagement and partnership with MCH services (e.g., Title V, MCIEVH, and Healthy Start research-practice partnerships) can facilitate translation of interventions into practice through increased understanding of the program and service contexts and, in turn, contribute to achieving public health equity.
This Core supports a spectrum of participatory approaches to FYC engagement, customized for each project, ranging from advisory engagement to full PAR approaches. There are two groups that comprise the Engagement Core.
Family Voices
Building on their close relationship with the LCIRN, Family Voices (a family-led organization with a national network of family and youth leaders) will continue to support researchers to engage families in all LCT-RN research. A “Family Brains Trust” comprised of a diverse group of paid family representatives will engage with the Nodes giving family input to all stages of network projects. The Brains Trust will co-develop and review early proposals and survey drafts and suggest local partners for projects, building on its established links with MCH programs through its state networks.
Core Leadership - Family Voices
Youth Participatory Action Research (Y-PAR)
There are multiple forms of youth participation, such as youth organizing, youth boards, and youth participatory action research (YPAR). In YPAR youth train in research methods to study conditions relevant to their lives, and learn how to test and implement improvements. This includes work ins schools, neighborhoods and health systems. Youth advocate for change based on their research findings.
Y-PAR Resources
- A new resource on navigating Y-PAR and IRBs with examples of successful IRB applications. Access Resource
- A new Y-PAR Best Practices Design Guide. Design Guide
Interested in joining the Y-PAR group?
Register your interest using the following link and a team member will reach out.
Recent Publications
Ozer, E. J., Sprague Martinez, L., Abraczinskas, M., Villa, B., & Prata, N. (2022). Toward Integration of Life Course Intervention and Youth Participatory Action Research. Pediatrics, 149(Suppl 5), e2021053509H. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053509H
Hoover, C., Ware, A., Serano, A., & Verbiest, S. (2022). Engaging Families in Life Course Intervention Research: An Essential Step in Advancing Equity. Pediatrics, 149(Suppl 5), e2021053509G. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053509G
Core Leadership - Y-PAR
