A comprehensive youth survey in three parts: youth service provider interviews, youth focus groups, and surveys.
The District of Sooke and the Sooke Region Communities Health Network (SRCHN) want to use space within a newly approved elders complex as an opportunity to launch an intergenerational program that will bring seniors and youth together. Sooke is a coastal community of 13,000 on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. I worked with SRCHN to conduct research to understand the needs and desires of the youth in Sooke.
I conducted qualitative and quantitative research by interviewing 30 people and creating an online survey that was completed by 224 youth aged 10-18. The final result was a 34-page report outlining the needs and potential partnerships for youth activities in a seniors’ dedicated space. Youth in Sooke were happy to have their voices heard and to be a part of the discussion. The District of Sooke has a document of action steps and needs directly from youth to make an inter-generational program a success.
Final Report
Project Goals
- Ascertain needs and potential partnerships for youth activities in a space dedicated to seniors.
- Interview and survey youth about programming needs and gaps.
- Write a report that will be useful for all youth service providers in Sooke.
Sustainability and Needs Assessment
To begin, I conducted initial sustainability and needs assessment interviews with youth service providers in Sooke. I spoke with youth service providers who represent a range of youth services and needs to truly understand what is currently available and what is possible. I held 7 Semi-structured in-person qualitative interviews over a two-week period.
I gained valuable insights about the needs of youth programming in Sooke. Most importantly for me, not being from this small community, I met and built trust with youth service providers. Later, they were able to connect me with youth groups to interview and give advice about the community.
Youth Focus Group Sessions
I held three two-hour semi-structured focus groups with youth ages 13-17 in October 2020. I selected participants through referrals from youth service providers in Sooke. I allowed the conversation to flow naturally to capture the feelings of the participants. I asked questions from a list, facilitated brainstorming games, and made space for youth to speak to their passions. We spoke about current activities, issues for youth, ideas for the space, intergenerational programming, job skills programs, cooking programs, and barriers that prevent youth from attending a program. I had fun working with youth who were engaged and enthusiastic about improving their community.
Challenge
I knew from the start that we would need to adhere to safety protocols and the COVID-19 restrictions of 2020. I was prepared to pivot and hold interviews outdoors or online. It was an unexpected challenge to learn that I would not be able to enter schools to speak with teachers and support staff. Without building those relationships with teachers it would prove to be a challenge to connect to groups of youth.
Reframe
Having built relationships with youth service providers, they were able to connect me with their groups and youth that they worked with. The local rec centre provided me with a meeting space, and a local pizza take-out provided us with unlimited pizza for the interview sessions. I learned a lot about facilitating with online collaborative whiteboards and, in the end, enjoyed the advantages and clarity of online brainstorming sessions.
Digital and Paper Survey
I collaborated with an independent design agency and the school board to create a written survey that would capture the ideas, thoughts, and wishes of youth in Sooke for the proposed youth program. 224 youth aged 10 to 18 completed the Sooke Community Youth Survey. We distributed links to the survey in schools, newspaper ads, posters, local networks, and social media.
Challenge
I learned that another design agency and the schools both wanted to present surveys to youth. This had the potential to tire youth and teachers of surveys and repeat information
Reframe
We collaborated to create one survey together. This took some time, but ultimately we ended up with data that will be valuable to a wide variety of service providers in Sooke. This allowed us to use our combined networks to distribute the survey.
Analysis and Synthesis Process
For each question, I grouped and categorized simplified comments, information, feelings, and ideas on a Miro digital whiteboard. I wrote 1-3 sentences about the most important sentiments, then amalgamated others into point form for easy scanning on the report.
At the end of the 3 sections (needs assessment, focus group sessions, digital and paper survey), I grouped and categorized the information from all of the questions together. I repeated this process with all of the information to write the conclusion and recommendations.
Final Product
The final result was a 34-page report outlining the need and potential partnerships for youth activities in a seniors’ dedicated space. The final report was praised by the district of Sooke Council for its “quality and clarity.” SRCHN gave me feedback that it was “excellent and very comprehensive.” The final report was posted on the SRCHN website.
I eagerly await the use of the report in guiding a user-centred youth program that addresses the needs of youth in Sooke.
Final Report
Takeaways
I love networking with people who are passionate about community projects.
It’s beneficial to take more process photos for stakeholders.
In the future I will focus on infographics and information that can be easily scanned for youth and service providers.
Building relationships through interviews with youth service providers, then getting referrals to youth programs was a great way to build community trust.
COVID-19 restrictions caused organization and planning to take longer than anticipated.
Youth input in building the written survey was essential to the adoption and success of the survey.
Youth showed in focus groups and through survey responses that they are informed and passionate about the environment, the people, and the future of Sooke.