Resources for Youth Participatory Evaluation

A number of resources have been developed to facilitate the practice of youth participatory evaluation (YPE). Some of these are guides and toolkits that provide step-by-step guidance on how to engage youth in research and evaluation. Other resources include academic articles and books.

Guides and Tools

Youth-Adult Partnerships in Evaluation: A Resource Guide

A solid body of research has been conducted on the processes and outcomes of youth and adults working together on evaluation projects. Building from the research, this resource guide offers tip sheets for successful youth-adult partnerships in evaluation, a comprehensive list of data analysis strategies, recommended reading for practitioners, and an annotated bibliography of Y-AP research. ACT for Youth.

Resource Guide

Participatory Evaluation with Young People

This workbook and guide can be applied to program evaluation, community assessment, policy analysis, and more. Together they provide practical tools for participatory evaluation, including steps in the process, methods of gathering information, making sense of the findings, and formulating strategies for creating change. University of Michigan.

Youth Workbook

Facilitator Guide

Youth Leading Community Change: An Evaluation Toolkit

Written by Kim Sabo Flores, this evaluation toolkit is designed for youth and adult facilitators who want to measure the impact of their community projects. The toolkit includes activities and resources that have been used by young people in 4-H, FFA, and Girl Scouts to evaluate their projects in different types of communities across America.

Toolkit

PAR Guide: Promoting the Participation, Learning and Action of Young People

Written for both youth and adults, this guide to participatory action research (PAR) gives tips and activities to help communities, programs, or organizations gather information and act on findings. UNICEF.

Guide

So You Want to Involve Children in Research?

This toolkit supports children's participation in research relating to violence against children. Save the Children.

Toolkit

Youth and Adult Leaders for Program Excellence (YALPE) Workbook

This resource kit is designed for groups that are seeking to promote positive youth development through strategies of youth participation, youth activism, youth voice, and youth-adult partnership. University of Wisconsin-Extension and ACT for Youth.

Toolkit

Youth Involvement in Evaluation and Research

The Harvard Family Research Project conducted focus group interviews with representatives of 14 programs that involved youth in their evaluation and research efforts. This publication includes a description of essential elements of successful research projects involving youth.

Issue Brief

A Youth Development Approach to Evaluation: Critical Participatory Action Research

This article in NonProfit Quarterly explores how five programs use critical participatory action research and youth participatory evaluation to engage youth and improve program delivery.

Article

Academic Articles and Books

Checkoway, B. N. & Gutierrez, L. M. (2006). Youth participation and community change. Journal of Community Practice, 14, 1-9.

Goodyear, L. K. & Checkoway, B. (Eds.). (2003). Youth Engagement in Community Evaluation Research [Special Issue]. CYD Journal, 4(1).

Powers, J. L. & Tiffany, J. S. (2006). Engaging youth in participatory research and evaluation (PDF). Journal of Public Health Management Practice.

Sabo, K. (Ed.). (2003) Youth participatory evaluation: A field in the making. New Directions in Evaluation, 98.

Sabo Flores, K. (2007). Youth participatory evaluation: Strategies for engaging young people. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.