Youth-adult community partnerships: Student voice and choice in addressing racism

Researchers have documented many benefits of youth engagement, however there is a need for more systematic research on participation in different contexts. This study has investigated how a youth-adult partnership addressed racism within a high school, as well as the experiences of participants during this process. This project was a case study of a school-based, youth-adult partnership consisting of eight (N = 8) participants. Five participants were students in Grades 11 and 12, two were school/school board staff, and one was the author; I directly participated in the partnership as a facilitator. Qualitative data were collected through field notes, interviews and focus groups, and were analyzed using NVivo 11. Findings highlight the benefits of meaningful engagement for the participants, ideal partnership structures and participant roles, as well as the importance of having a dedicated facilitator with specific qualities identified by participants. Based on these findings, best practices are proposed for conducting youth-adult partnerships in school settings