Learners' Own Words

Typically, not all parents’ voices are considered when youth-serving organizations make decisions that impact young people. There is inherent value in parent participation and including their voices in youth work. There can be many challenges to overcome when engaging with parents. But your programs will be stronger and more equitable if you do. The young people you serve will achieve better outcomes when you partner with parents.

Your youth-serving organization can better adapt to meet the needs of every young person when you engage parents as partners in decision making. This sense of connectedness is a key factor for positive youth development. When you are intentional about how you involve parent voices, you are able to engage with a critical missing perspective and promote positive outcomes.

PPAR (Parent Participatory Action Research) is an effective approach to improving parental engagement. The PPAR findings shared in this training were collected in schools, but the proven benefits of PPAR apply to many other youth-serving settings and programs. Join us to consider the challenges and opportunities of engaging parents as partners in your program, and how you can implement PPAR. Even if you can’t facilitate the PPAR process within your youth-serving organization, you’ll still gain valuable insights for equitable parent engagement.

• Examine the challenges and opportunities of engaging parents as partners in the decision making of youth-serving organizations (YSOs), particularly parents whose voices have not been heard
• Learn what Parent Participatory Action Research (PPAR) is and the benefits it brings, particularly in an equity frame
• Learn how PPAR can help to address engagement challenges
• Consider how to apply PPAR in your youth-serving organization (YSO)