Getting to ‘Y’
New Mexico RAPS
Risk and Resiliency Assessment Project for Students
Youth bring meaning to their New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (NM-YRRS) data
What is the purpose of the Getting to ‘Y’: RAPS project?
- Student data empowerment
- To regularly return public health data from NM-YRRS to New Mexico’s middle and high school students in ways that are meaningful, relevant and useful. YRRS is New Mexico’s primary statewide source of data on youth health risks, well-being, and protective factors.
- Education
- To engage youth in critically evaluating and understanding health data, and to put those data into action in their school and community.
- Positive youth development
- To cultivate young people’s leadership, teamwork, advocacy skills, and empower them to make a difference in programs and policies that are intended to benefit them.
- Community engagement
- To incorporate youth input and leadership, and encourage community involvement in developing programs and policies that impact youth.
Why participate in the Getting to ‘Y’: RAPS project?
For youth
- Youth will have a meaningful and valued voice in interpreting YRRS data and shaping programs and policies that inform the work of policymakers, state agencies, and other decision-makers.
- Youth will learn data analysis, evaluation and advocacy while gaining knowledge, community connections, and greater ownership of what is happening in their schools and communities.
- Youth leaders will be compensated up to $200 for their leadership, time, and contributions.
For organizations
- By partnering with youth, organizations can strengthen and shape programs and policies that more effectively respond to the health and well being of young people.
- Youth input and insight into the context and experiences surrounding health behaviors is essential to understanding the YRRS data and what it means for young people and their communities.
- Community organizations will receive $10,000 to cover the costs of adult mentors’ time and effort, as well as snacks, transportation and other participation needs.
How to Get to ‘Y’? What is it all about?
Identify 1-2 adults at each organization to facilitate the Getting to ‘Y’ RAPS program. The adult is the sponsor of an existing youth group or runs an existing youth program.
Identify a core group of 5-7 representative youth leaders in your afterschool program, school, or community. These youth will be trained to facilitate a group analysis of the YRRS data.
The 5-7 youth leaders will be trained for 2 days in Albuquerque (or locally) with youth leader teams from 4 other sites in how to facilitate data analysis with peers.
The identified youth leaders will recruit 15-20 additional participants from diverse and representative social groups in their community to join in the data analysis retreat.
Participants meet for a day-long retreat in their community to analyze YRRS data from their district and create an executive summary of their findings.
Youth participants host a community dialogue event with parents, school leaders, and community members, where they share their findings and ideas on how to best address the issues they find most concerning.
Youth engage community organizations in developing action plans and activate positive change.
Youth may share their experience at professional conferences, in galleries, and on social media.
What support and participation involve
What will the UNM Team provide?
- Local-level YRRS data for participants to use in their analysis.
- Training for youth leaders and adult mentors that is based on a Positive Youth Development (PYD), Youth-Adult Partnership model.
- Getting To ‘Y’ RAPS Toolkit manuals.
- Project support for youth and school/organization staff for the academic year.
- Measurement and program evaluation to see if the project accomplishes its goals.
What will the participating community organization provide?
- A dedicated adult (community organizer, program coordinator, educator, social worker, or other adult) to be the project facilitator/adult mentor at the project site.
- A dedicated adult participating in training of the youth leadership team provided by UNM – usually 2 full days over the course of the project.
- Assisting youth leaders working with the full group of youth participants analyzing data using the Getting To ‘Y’ manual – and helping organize the data analysis retreat – usually 1 full day.
- Assistance to youth in finding a location for and presenting the community dialogue event, helping organize snacks, and transportation.
What’s next?
Up to 5 organizations that work with middle- and/or high-school age youth will be selected to implement the Getting To ‘Y’ RAPS project in their communities.
We’ll share the RAPS manual here when it’s ready.
Contact the team
Courtney FitzGerald
Principal Investigator
Myra McKee
Program Manager
Salina Vargas
Program Coordinator
Robyn Viera
Program Administrator