B:YEARD

The overall aim of this project is to test how the action research process can be used as a way to facilitate young people’s engagement in local decision-making processes. Exploring how this approach can be effective in a range of settings and communities with differing agendas.

The research project prioritises engaging with young people aged 13 – 25, as individuals and as members of groups, who are traditionally seen as ‘hard to reach’. The research is focused on outcomes that enhance young people’s experiences within their local communities, their social well-being and working towards meeting their expressed needs in the long-term. The action research approach is ‘bottom up’ rather than ‘top down’, research with and by young people amongst their peer groups.

Young people are equipped to identify priority research topics and themes from within their own communities. They are supported in analysing their findings, making recommendations and disseminating information about the initiative and its outcomes. These outcomes feed into community-based decision-making, contributing to youth strategies and generating policy.