the next steps · forming an organizing team participants logistics material stuff the money...

The Next

A Workshop

Steps:

Toolkit to EngageYouth in Community Action

Adolescent Health Survey IIIA Project of the

McCreary Centre Society

The Next Steps: A workshop Toolkit to Engage Youth in Community ActionA Project of the Adolescent Health Survey

© The McCreary Centre Society, 2005ISBN: 1-895438-70-5

3552 East Hastings StreetVancouver, B.C. V5K 2A7Tel: (604) 291-1996Fax: (604) 291-7308E-mail: [email protected]

wwwwwwwwwwwwwww.mcs.bc.ca.mcs.bc.ca.mcs.bc.ca.mcs.bc.ca.mcs.bc.ca

The Next Steps:A Workshop Toolkit to Engage Youthin Community Action

The McCreary Centre Society is anon-government, non-profitorganization committed toimproving the health of BC youththrough research, education andcommunity-based participationprojects. Founded in 1977, theSociety sponsors and promotes awide range of activities andresearch to address unmet healthneeds of young people. Areas ofinterest include:

• health risk behaviours• disease prevention and health

promotion• youth participation and

leadership skills development

A Project of the Adolescent Health Survey III

The McCreary Centre Society2

Project Team

David SadlerYouth Participation CoordinatorWillow DunlopYouth Participation CoordinatorMinda ChittendenResearch AssociateAileen MurphyManaging DirectorAlison LiebelCommunications Coordinator

Advisory CommitteeAnne CartenVancouver Coastal HealthMark GiffordVancouver FoundationGinger GosnellBC First Nations Youth CaucusNicole HerbertFederation of BC Youth in Care NetworksSilvia HuaMcCreary Youth Advisory CouncilJim LathamRetired Superintendent of Agassiz School District/AsstSuperintendent of Chilliwack School DistrictAsja MajorNational Crime Prevention CentrePaul MulhollandMinistry of Children and Family DevelopmentCaitlin PadgettYouthCo / City of Vancouver

Thank you to participants who attendedthe pilot workshop:Naomi ChardWest Vancouver Community FoundationMark GiffordVancouver FoundationLeah HamiltonVancouver Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy CouncilOpreet KangMcCreary Youth FoundationRichard LoatWest Vancouver Community FoundationBryonie MaheVancouver Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy CouncilBarbara OatesCommunity Foundations of CanadaHailey SmithVictoria Foundation: Students Who Care

Funding for this project wasprovided by:

The Vancouver Foundation

The National Crime PreventionStrategy

The Next Steps: A WorkshopToolkit to Engage Youth inCommunity Action wasprepared by David Sadler andWillow Dunlop.

The McCreary Centre Society acknowledges thesupport for the AHS III Survey of the Province ofBritish Columbia, Ministry for Children and familyDevelopment, Ministry of HealthServices, Inter-Ministry Advisory Committee, AHS ProjectAdvisory Committee, staff of participating schooldistricts, and B.C.’s public health nurses.

The Next Steps: A Workshop Toolkit to Engage Youth in Community Action 3

Welcome...to the Next Steps Toolkit

The Next Steps is a workshop series thatprovides youth with an opportunity todiscuss the results of the 2003 BCAdolescent Health Survey, make recom-mendations, and plan projects for improv-ing the health of youth in their communi-ties.

This toolkit contains everything that youwill need to organize a Next Steps work-shop or workshop series. Within the kityou will find the necessary organizing tipsand workshop agendas, along with all theforms and handouts.

In organizing a Next Steps, it is importantto understand the toolkit and the theo-retical perspectives behind it, but theenergy and enthusiasm of the organizingteam and facilitator are also critical. Wehope that you will combine what we havecreated with your own energy and style tomake your workshop reflective of you andyour community.

McCreary will be compiling the resultsfrom the Next Steps workshops that areheld across British Columbia into areport. To find out how to have your NextSteps included in the provincial report,you must read the Post-Workshop Organ-izing “Submitting Results to McCreary”section (page 16), and be sure to returnall required information to McCreary byNoNoNoNoNovvvvvember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005.

How We Can HelpWe welcome the opportunityto assist you in creating yourvision for the workshop,learning the concepts behindthe Next Steps, and exploringstrategies for making theevent go smoothly.

Between April and November2005 we will specifically beoffering:

• Facilitator training/ toolkitorientation

• A McCreary staff member tofacilitate or help facilitate yourcommunity’s workshop

• Ongoing consultation on an “as-needed” basis

• Some financial support

Contact me if any of this interests you.We look forward to working with you!

Sincerely,David Sadler

Youth Participation CoordinatorThe McCreary Centre Society

Tel: 604 291-1996Email: [email protected]


How the Next Steps Work

A Single Workshop or a SeriesNext Steps is designed as a series of two workshops and a community outreach project.Each workshop builds on the concepts of the previous to increase the capacity of theparticipants. Next Steps first explores the issues, and then empowers youth to focus theirenergy towards specific goals. Next Steps is flexible. You can choose to do a single work-shop, two workshops, or all three. The first workshop is the core of the Next Steps. Itengages youth in discussing community issues and developing important feedback andaction plans.

The first workshopintroduces the idea ofrisk and protectivefactors. Participants willlearn about the results ofthe Adolescent HealthSurvey, share theirperspectives on healthissues in their commu-nity, experientially learnabout building protectivefactors, and developaction plans for promot-ing youth health.

The second workshopexpands on the conceptsof the first workshop, andhelps participants de-velop team-building andproject planning skills.Through a communitymapping activity, partici-pants will identify localstrengths and resourcesto create strategies forinvolving the wider com-munity in planning futureaction. They will also havean opportunity to furtherdevelop their actionplans.

The Community Out-reach Project is whereNext Steps participantscan share their experi-ences and showcasetheir projects/messagesto the wider community.These projects/eventswill provide an opportu-nity to build connectionsand mobilize networks,as well as celebratewhat is positive aboutthe community and whatcould be enhancedthrough further collabo-ration.

1 2 3


BackgroundThe NeThe NeThe NeThe NeThe Next Stxt Stxt Stxt Stxt Stepsepsepsepseps is an initiative of The McCreary Centre Society and is designed to give youth an oppor-tunity to respond to and act on information from the third Adolescent Health Survey (AHS). Followingboth the first (1992) and second (1998) AHS, The McCreary Centre Society developed a Next StepProject in order to share the results with youth, and to give youth an opportunity to make recommen-dations for addressing youth health issues.

The AThe AThe AThe AThe Adolescent Health Surdolescent Health Surdolescent Health Surdolescent Health Surdolescent Health Survvvvveeeeey (AHS)y (AHS)y (AHS)y (AHS)y (AHS) is a questionnaire used to gather information about youthhealth. Administered in 1992, 1998 and 2003 to BC students in grades 7 to 12, the AHS providesinformation about physical and emotional health and about factors that can influence health duringadolescence or in later life. Over the past decade, over 70,000 BC youth have participated in the AHS.Modified versions of AHS have been conducted with special populations of youth including streetyouth, gay youth and youth in custody.

Intentions of theNext StepsWorkshop Series

Promoting ResiliencyThrough Community InvolvementPromoting the resiliency of youth, the abilityto bounce back from and overcome difficultsituations, needs to be a community effort.By providing opportunities for young peopleto share their experiences and concernswith the wider community, the Next Stepsworkshop(s) supports a process of includ-ing young people in creating plans foraction.

Experience of Community Building andCelebrationThe experience of community building thatoccurs while working together is as impor-tant as the final product. It is by encourag-ing youth to form community partnershipswhile exploring issues and discussing ideasfor action that Next Steps encouragesbuilding community from the inside out.Next Steps focuses on identifying existingstrengths and celebrating successes greatand small along the way.

Bridging Research and ActionNext Steps uses the results of the Adoles-cent Health Survey (AHS) as a springboardto create discussion around communityyouth issues, acting as a bridge betweenresearch and action. Participants will learnabout the information that the youth of BCcollectively provided in responding to theAHS. Using the AHS research, young peoplewill have an opportunity to move beyondthe consultation process: to respond and toact.

Empowerment through PartnershipA strong component of the Next Stepsworkshop series is the idea of partnership,stemming from our belief that sustainablecommunity development depends ongrowth from within. Next Steps workshopsencourage partnership between youth fromdiverse backgrounds and between genera-tions. Participants will be brought togetherin a process that builds on existing relation-ships and community strengths as a way topromote the healthy development of youth.

The premise behind Next Steps is verysimple: engaging youth in the process ofaddressing their community’s youthhealth issues is beneficial to those youthinvolved and the community as a whole.

Table of ContentsOrganizing page 7Organizing Checklist

Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre-WWWWWorororororkshop Organizing:kshop Organizing:kshop Organizing:kshop Organizing:kshop Organizing: page 9page 9page 9page 9page 9Forming an organizing teamParticipantsLogisticsMaterial stuffThe MoneyHelpful fund-raising tips

PPPPPost-ost-ost-ost-ost-WWWWWorororororkshop Organizing:kshop Organizing:kshop Organizing:kshop Organizing:kshop Organizing: page 1page 1page 1page 1page 166666EvaluationSubmitting results to McCrearyAfter & between the workshopsSustaining the Momentum

Look in this sectionfor all the nuts and

bolts of planning theworkshops.

Workshop Agendas page 19Workshop 1 supply checklistWorkshop 1 agenda

Workshop 2 supply checklistWorkshop 2 agenda

Community outreach project: planning forworkshop 3

Look in this sectionfor detailed workshop

agendas andchecklists.

Workshop Resources page 35Major activity instructions & materials

Forms & handouts

Example materials

Evaluation forms

Look in this sectionfor all the handouts& instructions you

will need.

Additional Theory page 101A review of research on early adolescence

Why does youth participation matter

Youth participation: principles for adults & youth

Adults & youth working together

Personal reflection exercise

Community development

Ten Commandments for involving youth incommunity building

Recommended readings & web resources

Adolescent Health Survey list of reports

Look in this sectionfor additional

resources and theorythat enrich the Next

Steps experience.

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OrganizingIn this section you will find allthe logistics that you will needto organize and consider whenputting on Next Steps. We atMcCreary would like to help wherewe can so don’t hesitate to contactus if you need assistance or havequestions. This section is divided intopre-workshop tasks and post-workshop tasks.

In this section you will find information on:

Post-WorkshopEvaluation and Submitting Resultsto McCreary(what, how and why to get theresults back to us)

Other Follow up(thanking supportive groups,keeping momentum going, start-ing Youth Advisory Committeeand other things)

Pre-WorkshopOrganizing & Facilitating Team(the team you put together toorganize and facilitate theworkshop)

Youth Participants(youth who will be participatingin the workshop)

Adult Participants(you guessed it, adults who willbe participating in the workshop)

Registration (self explanatoryreally)

Organizing Checklist(a list of things you have toaccomplish leading up to theworkshop)


Location(considerations when looking fora location)

Time & Timeline(how to plan so that the workshopsfit well together)

Food (mmm-mmm them’s goodeating)

Supplies(markers and flip-charts and pensoh my!)

Budgeting & Fund-raising(not a lot of people like doing this,but let’s put the fun back in fund-raising!)


Initial things to do:Put together an organizing committee.Go through the Next Steps Toolkit and as a group start brainstorming ideasaround the content and style of the workshopDecide whether you will do one workshop or two workshops plus eventBrainstorm/create a list of the organizations that you would like represented atthe workshopsDecide how many people you want at the workshopSet a date for the first workshopPrepare a budget that outlines the costs of the workshopFind a location for the event and if necessary begin looking into transportation forparticipantsStart approaching organizations for funding and local businesses for donations ofsupplies, food or prizes

Next things to do:Begin publicizing the event and recruiting participantsFinalize the agenda for the workshopAssign or recruit a workshop facilitator or co-facilitatorsBegin making arrangements for food and snacks for the workshop

Final preparation:Prepare event materialsHave supplies confirmedFinalize who will be attending the workshopFinalize transportation for participantsFinalize arrangements for food and snacks

After the WorkshopSubmit results to McCrearyThank groups who made contributionsShare results with communityCreate and send out press releasePat yourself on the back

Organizing Checklist


Forming an Organizing TeamThis group will discuss the workshop agendas providedin the toolkit and decide how to adjust them to best suitthe community. This group will also work to organize all ofthe logistic details of the event, such as the location, thefood and the promotion. It is also up to this group to decide on a strategy for inviting adultsand youth to the workshop (who do you want involved or represented in the workshops?).

Working with an organizing team of 5 to 6 members is recommended. It will allow theworkload involved in organizing the Next Steps to be broken down and shared. It will alsobring together peoples’ diverse ideas, strengths and experiences. A team made up of bothyouth and adults will be most effective in putting on a Next Steps. If the resources areavailable, the organizing committee might consider hiring a Next Steps workshop coordina-tor to take care of all the logistics.

FacilitatorYou will need one or two primary facilitator(s) to run the workshop, or you may choose tohave several facilitators with each one taking responsibility for a portion of the agenda.Finding the right facilitator for any event can be tricky. You want to have a facilitator who isexperienced, energetic, informed and able to create a connection with the participants. Wesuggest that if possible a youth facilitates or co-facilitates the workshop.

GophersDuring the workshops, the rest of the organizing team can play an important role in keep-ing all of the little details running. It is important to have ample help on the day of theconference because the facilitator will want to concentrate on their facilitation, and not onlogistic aspects such as if the lunch arrived on time. The organizing team should identifythemselves with a special name tag or mark so that if anyone has a concern or questionsthey will know who to ask.

Pre-WorkshopOrganizing


ParticipantsYou will want to invite a diverse group of 40-50 youth, and roughly 10 or so supportiveadults to your Next Steps. A smaller group would also work; if you decide to go with a biggergroup, make sure you have sufficient people to help manage the workshop. It is importantto adjust the size of small groups during the day depending on how many people you have.If you have too many small groups some of the reporting back activities will get cumber-some; you should therefore think about forming larger groups.

Youth ParticipantsYouth are the integral part of the workshop. Conducting the Next Steps on a school day (incooperation with schools) will ensure youth can participate. A weekend event may conflictwith extracurricular activities or jobs, but whatever ultimately works for your community isbest. Unless you are totally confident that all of the youth you invite are coming, inviteextra, but not so many that if they all come the group will be too large. We strongly recom-mend that you invite diverse youth to the event. Having a diverse group of youth leads tohaving a wide range of opinions and knowledge at the workshop. Also try to involve youthwho are often excluded or labelled as difficult. If your Next Steps will take place at aschool, and you will be recruiting only through that school, make sure to involve studentsfrom different cliques and grades, so a variety of youth voices will be represented in theworkshop.

Recruiting YouthTo recruit youth effectively, informationabout the Next Steps workshop should bemade widely available. There are all sorts ofdifferent strategies to find youth partici-pants, and it is wise to not rely on a singlemethod. For example, you could put upposters, distribute flyers, send out emails,talk to youth directly, and talk to youthservice providers. Places to look for youthparticipants include: youth networks, youthserving organizations, schools, communitycentres, religious organizations or any-where young people hang out. It is impor-tant to use different strategies, because itis possible to reach different youth indifferent ways. Also involve youth in thepromotion for the workshop -youth candesign posters and undertake other promo-tional activities.


To interest youth, appeal to their desire to make a meaningful contribution and let themknow that it is an opportunity for youth voices to be heard. If possible, we suggest that youtalk to youth face to face whenever you can, because this way you can explain the NextSteps project better.

Depending on resources and sponsorship available you might consider providing incen-tives or recreational/social activities as part of the Next Steps event.

For an example of a poster or flyer that you can hand out, see the Workshop Resourcessection (page 86).

Adult ParticipantsAdults are also important to the Next Steps workshop series because of their experienceand perspective. Recruit adults who work in the field of youth engagement, who are inter-ested in youth health or who are interested in hearing youths’ perspectives. Many adultsare interested in youth issues even if they do not work directly in the field or with youth.Ideally, try to find adults who have experience in working in partnership with youth or whoare in decision making positions.

Roles for adults in youthparticipation initiativesinclude:CaringCaringCaringCaringCaringBeing available and showing genuineconcern for young people.

FleFleFleFleFlexibilityxibilityxibilityxibilityxibilityBeing willing to listen and adapt.

SupporSupporSupporSupporSupportttttListening and offering suggestions,reassurance, resources and time;working with youth rather than doingthings for or to youth.

CommitmentCommitmentCommitmentCommitmentCommitmentValuing the rights of youth to have avoice in decisions affecting theirlives, and creating opportunities formeaningful involvement.

RRRRRespectespectespectespectespectDemonstrating acceptance of youngpeople’s contributions, values andopinions.

Recruiting AdultsTo find adults we suggest looking at who isproviding services to youth in your commu-nity, be it health, social, recreational,municipal or educational services. Thesepeople would probably be interested in NextSteps, or could at least think of people toask. When looking for youth, you maystumble across adults, and vice versa, sokeep your eyes open.

!


Hint:Hint:Hint:Hint:Hint:What does “Youth Friendly”mean? It means a place

where youth feel welcome andwanted. If you are unable tofind a place that is youthfriendly, it’s your job to makewhatever you have as invitingand welcoming as possible.Youth friendly is not an officefeel, or a city ha1ll feel. Look fora space where chairs can bearranged in a circle, where peoplecan sit on the floor, and it feelswelcoming.

LocationFind a youth friendly location with room forabout fifty people. There will need to be anarea large enough for everyone to meet allat once, but also the ability for small break-out groups. A separate area for registrationand food distribution would also be helpful,but not necessary. Other considerations forlocation are accessibility and cost.

LogisticsTimelineOne of the first tasks of the organizing committee is to create a timeline of how the NextSteps will progress. This includes deciding on the number and frequency of planningmeetings, when food and supplies will be confirmed, when the location will be confirmedby, and the times and dates of the workshops. We have included a organizing checklist atthe beginning of this section to help this planning (page 8).

RegistrationRegistration procedures will vary between Next Steps workshops. It helps to confirm at-tendance in advance because it allows you to estimate the amount of food and othersupplies that you will need. Knowing who will be attending also allows you to fulfil anyrequirements of the participants, such as a permission slip or dietary needs, so that youare not surprised at the last minute.

On the morning of the event have a registration sheet for participants to sign. On thatsheet have name and contact information, organization they represent (if applicable), andany other relevant information. This is also the point to hand out name tags and participantcopies of the agenda.

Special ConcernsIt is wise to be aware of special concerns that participants may have so that they can getthe most out of the workshop. When registering participants make sure to determine ifthey will require anything. For instance dietary concerns: are they vegetarian? Are theyallergic to peanuts? Another thing to consider is accessibility of the workshop. Is it wheel-chair friendly?


Date and TimeWorkshop One and Two are full day work-shops, running from 9 am to just after 3pm. Youth can be very busy individualsbetween school, jobs, volunteer work andextracurricular activities so it may be hardfor them to fit the workshop into theirschedule. To make it easier for youth toschedule and commit, it is helpful to con-firm the time and date at least a monthbefore each workshop. It will probably workbest to do the workshop on a school daythat doesn’t conflict with any major examsor events, or on the weekend.

It is ideal for the second workshop to bedone as soon as possible after the firstworkshop. This is because much of theteam-building and group dynamics may belost if the workshops are scheduled too farapart. Make sure to remind the participantsof the time and date of the second work-shop at the first workshop. If the twoworkshops are being held over a weekend,you might consider holding the Next Stepsat a camp so youth can stay overnight.

The timing for the third Next Steps event –the Community Outreach Project – dependson what the participants believe will be anappropriate conclusion to what they haveaccomplished. If they want to showcasecompleted projects, it will have to happenlater. If the youth want to tell the communityabout their ideas for projects, it couldhappen sooner. We suggest that it may notbe necessary to have projects finished andready to showcase at the outreach event asthis could be an opportunity to show projectideas in order to gather support and re-sources from the wider community. Formore discussion or help with the OutreachProject, contact McCreary.

Material StuffFoodFor some reason, the thing that everyoneremembers from workshops is the food.That’s why to leave a positive impression inthe minds of the participants… food isimportant. If possible choose healthy,simple food that is easy to store, prepare,distribute and eat when it is time.

Also, be sure that there are snacks on handfor the breaks such as muffins or fruit, anddrinks such as juice and water.

SuppliesThere are checklists of specific supplies(organized by workshops) that you will needto run a Next Steps workshop in the Work-shop Agendas section (page 20, 26).


ItemFood (lunch, snacks, drinks)

Prizes

Supplies (Pens, Markers, Flip charts)

Location

Bus Tickets (At $2 a ticket x 50 people)

3 foot by 4 foot Base Map

Cost$750 ($15 a person x 50 people)

$50-$100

$250

Varies

$100 (may not be necessary)

$14-$120 per map (Depending on b/w orcolour)

The MoneyFund-RaisingThere will be some costs associated withputting on a Next Steps workshop. However,the quality of the workshop series does notdepend on the size of the budget. If you donot have lots of funds to work with thatdoes not mean that the workshop will beany less successful.

There are many ways to cover the costs ofthe Next Steps workshop series. We encour-age you to seek out as many donatedservices and materials as possible. Thisincludes things like food, workshop sup-plies, and even the location.

How ToWhen budgeting for your Next Steps work-shop, it is useful to break down the costsinto the different phases. This is a roughbreakdown of what the costs could be.


Who To AskMake a list of people and organizationsthat you think would be interested in help-ing out, such as local businesses or yourchamber of commerce. When you askpeople on this list, also ask them if theyknow of any other individuals or groups youcould approach. Your networking will goeven faster!

Many businesses give money regularlywhen they are asked. Start with businessesyou have a connection to, or places thathave young customers. Go in person andmake sure it is a good time for the busi-ness.

Your town probably has many local serviceclubs who donate funds to youth. Lookthem up in the Yellow Pages under “Clubs”.Call first to set up a meeting. Sometimesthey will want you to come to talk to theirgroup about your event.

How to AskAsking for money can be intimidatingwhether this is your first time or if you’vedone it dozens of times before. The follow-ing tips may help you to be as effective andconfident as possible.

Always have your fund-raising letter, and/ora Next Steps promotional sheet with you.Having some materials is a great way toopen the conversation. Think about whatyou want to say and why you want to do thisbefore you talk to people. Be prepared.

Be real with the person you are approach-ing. If they see that you genuinely areexcited, chances are that they will find away to help you out. Always be friendly andpolite, and above all, genuine.

Don’t take “No” personally. Remember thatnot everyone will contribute or is able tocontribute and it is mostly likely not aboutyou if they say no. Thank the person fortheir time and remember that the morepeople you contact, the better chance youhave of hearing “Yes”.

Personalize your appeals letter, if you aremailing letters to people, use their namesinstead of “Dear Friend”.

Don’t forget to follow up. If someone saysthey would like you to come back later, setup a good time to return.

Always say “thank you”. Regardless ofwhether people have donated or not, thankthem for taking the time to listen to you. Ifthey do contribute, thank them for their gift.Take their address so that you can sendthem a thank you note after the Next Steps.Include some pictures in the thank you ifyou can.

HelpfulFund-raising TipsAdapted from Power of Hope, www.powerofhope.org

Source: Power of Hope. (2005). Fund-raising guide. InRegistration Form for Wild Hope, WA July 18-24 at No.Cascades National Park (p. 8-9). Retrieved 03/26/2005,from http://www.powerofhope.org/pdf/POH%20WH%20US%20Reg%20package.2005.pdf


EvaluationEvaluation is important to any project because it allows us to document what has beenaccomplished, measure the difference it has made and learn from the experience. Wehave included a number of evaluation forms in the Workshop Resources section: the Youthand Adult Participant Feedback Forms (for each of the workshops, page 87), and theCoordinator Feedback Form (page 97). The Participant Feedback Forms are for partici-pants at the end of each workshop to evaluate the day. Make sure to pay attention to whatthey have to say after Workshop One if you plan to do a second workshop. The CoordinatorForms are for the facilitator or organizing committee to fill out after all the workshops youare planning to hold have taken place.

There is time set aside for evaluation at the end of each workshop day. Remind partici-pants that evaluation is very important and helps us to learn from the experience.

Provincial ReportThe participants in the Next Steps workshop will be creating a wealth of information andideas. Through the course of the workshop series they will have identified communityissues, community goals, protective factors and action plans to address issues.

Information from Next Steps will be compiled by McCreary into a final report. This reportwill contain all the results of the Next Steps workshops that are held in communitiesaround the province during April-October 2005. The report will provide an important over-view of BC youths’ perspectives of their communities and their ideas for taking action topromote youth health. If you would like the information from your workshop(s) to be in-cluded in this provincial report, please return the results to us as soon as possible. Theabsolute latest we will accept results is NoNoNoNoNovvvvvember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005ember 4, 2005.

Submitting Results to McCrearyPlease return to McCreary:

Post-Workshop Organizing

Workshop 1• Completed Evaluation Forms• Definition of community that the group

represents (flip chart or copy)• Protective factor web brainstorm list

(flip chart or copy)• Action planning forms• List of community issues and goals, and

the narrowed down important ones

Workshop 2• Completed Evaluation Forms• Copy of Community Maps• Outcome Planning Forms


Workshop 3We would like the following information:

• What was your event and how did it go?(lots of detail please)

• Who organized and implemented it?• Which community members did it

involve?• Do you have future plans for this

project?• Quotes, opinions, or examples of

materials from the project.• Completed evaluation forms

Completed Coordinator Feedback Form (orat the end of Workshop One, if that is allyou will be doing)

Please feel free to send any additionalinformation about your Next Steps. Wewould like to hear about anything that givesus additional insight into what happened atyour workshops. We will send you the reportonce the information is compiled and it iswritten in late 2005.

You can send the materials to:Youth Participation CoordinatorThe McCreary Centre Society3552 Hastings St.Vancouver, BC V5K 2A7

After & Between the WorkshopsGetting the Word OutAn important aspect of the Next Steps project is using the results to advocate for action.You’ve put all of this time and effort into creating results, so now use them. Bring them tothe wider community. Present them to people in power, to the media, to the school board.Here are some people who might be interested in the results:

• Parent Advisory Committees• School Districts• Health Authorities• Police• Politicians• Community Agencies• Local Government• And of course, the Media

Use the results to advocate for policy or programming. Let the youth voice be heard.

We have included a sample press release in the Workshop Resources section, but weencourage you to adapt it for your own community (page 85).


Sustaining MomentumA very common phenomenon is for people to get very excited and motivated during work-shops and conferences, only to have that excitement and motivation fizzle out as time goesby. Harness that youth energy and keep the momentum going! One way to do this is tocreate a method of regular contact between the participants. This could be through email,meetings or a newsletter. Also, getting youth more involved in planning the workshops willkeep the momentum strong between the workshops. This is something for your organizingcommittee to think about. Ask the youth how they would like to keep the momentum going.

Forming a Youth Advisory Council (YAC)A great way to keep youth participants motivated is to develop a Youth Advisory Council, orYAC. YACs are councils made up of youth interested in advocating on youth issues andundertaking projects. The ingredients for a successful youth council include a group ofmotivated youth with big ideas and supportive adults. By putting on a Next Steps workshopthis is exactly what you have assembled! For more information about YACs, visit the Mc-Creary website at www.mcs.bc.ca.

Debriefing Process for Organizing CommitteeDebriefing after the Next Steps is an important process for the organizing committee.Debriefing allows discussion about what worked well, what came up as challenges, andhow everyone felt about the workshop. It is also an opportunity to celebrate and giveyourself a big pat on the back.

Recognizing the Contributions of Groups in the CommunityIt is important to thank anyone who supported your Next Steps workshops with time,money or in-kind support. One way of showing your gratitude is to invite them to the Com-munity Outreach event. We also suggest sending thank you letters to those who contrib-uted. Make a simple certificate of thanks that businesses could hang on their walls. Theylove that sort of thing! You will want to maintain a relationship with groups that helped youout, because you never know when you will want to call on them in the future.

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