Community engagement

This activity encourages young people to extend their social network and interact with, and give back to, prosocial individuals in their local community. Community engagement can include community service projects, engagement with local community members, or with family and other support networks. It can also include program delivery by local professionals in the community and referral to services in the community.

It is important for young people to be able to interact with prosocial individuals in their lives. Community engagement activities facilitate broader connections with individuals outside of a young person’s immediate remit such as members of local communities and local professionals. Additionally, this activity can help strengthen existing relationships with support and family networks.

How can it be implemented?

Community engagement can be facilitated in a number of ways:

Delivery of part or all of program content by local professional:

• Part or all of program content and components can be delivered by local professionals.

Community service projects:

• Community service projects, wherein participants undertake a task that gives back in some way to the local community, can be incorporated into program delivery.

Community events:

• Programs can require attendance at a local community event, contribution to an event, or management of an event.

Referral to community services:

• Participants can be referred to local services in their community where needed.

Engagement with familial supports:

• Families, caregivers and supports can be kept apprised of participants’ progress in a program, invited to presentations or performances, or involved in delivery in some way.

Who is the target group?

This flexible activity has been implemented with a number of different target groups. Key characteristics include:

• 14-17 year-old male students
• Adolescent girls aged 13-17 at high-risk for pregnancy
• Ethnically diverse students aged 11-14 living in low socioeconomic public housing neighbourhoods
• 18-24 year-old young people who identify as African American

What programs conduct this activity?

• In Guy Talk, participants learn to obtain help and access resources in their local community.
• In Prime Time, community involvement was discussed as one of a series of core topics with case managers. Participants were also given opportunities for positive peer, school and community involvement as peer health educators.
• The Art from Ashes Phoenix Rising Poetry Workshops involved performances from a guest poet involved in the poetry community and a performance at the end of the program for parents and youth from the neighbourhood.
•  In Color It Real, participants were made aware of services available in their local community including screening, testing, treatment and counselling services.

Further resources