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Youth Engagement: Lessons Learned
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Youth Engagement: Lessons Learned

Youth At-Risk of Homelessness: Lessons from the Field, OPRE Report #2021-101
Published: Jun 29, 2021
Publisher: Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Human Services Family Support Youth Development

Clients

OPRE Logo

Authors

Nathan Mix

Elizabeth Clary

Cay Bradley

Key Findings

Grantees and the evaluation TA teams identified a variety of strategies and lessons learned regarding youth engagement in the initial implementation of interventions:

  • Engagement should be early and creative
  • Building rapport sets the stage for sustained engagement
  • Goal setting is an opportunity to encourage youth voice and youth choice
  • Use multiple methods to know if, when, and to what extent youth are engaged

Based on the strategies developed and lessons learned, the brief offers considerations that support youth engagement in services.

This brief describes grantees’ experiences engaging youth in Youth At-Risk of Homelessness (YARH) interventions, including the methods they used to engage youth in services. The brief should be of interest to individuals who work with youth in similar circumstances, including service providers, program administrators, program evaluators, and funders.

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