Including the Reflections of Halton Youth on the Survey Data is Critical to Preparing the Data for the Community 

 

By Elisabeth Wells, PhD, Our Kids Network research & knowledge mobilization manager

As Canada prepares to mark National Child Day on November 20, Our Kids Network (OKN) calls on the Halton community to support the vision established in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child, that all children be treated with dignity and respect.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to give young people the opportunity to have their voices heard and to be active participants in their communities and the decisions that affect their wellbeing. The Youth Impact Survey demonstrates the ideals of National Child Day, not only in the information it has collected and how it will be used, but also in the ways it provides opportunities for youth engagement and leadership.

Youth Ambassadors Explain Why the Survey was So Successful

A key to the success of the Halton Youth Impact Survey was its peer-to-peer approach and the enthusiasm of the youth ambassadors involved. In the video, we provide an overview of the lead up to the survey launch and two of our youth survey ambassadors give the details of how youth across Halton participated and what was happening in their communities.

The survey results will be valuable in supporting youth and this gives us a snapshot, especially during COVID-19, of how Halton youth are doing. It’s also important to note that the survey engaged some young people who may not always be heard, such as Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, and newcomer youth, and youth living with chronic illness and disability.

 

 

National Child Day has a lot to do with embracing children and their ideas. Everyone is different, and we have different cultures and backgrounds, but the thing we have in common is that we all want to make the world a better place.
Tanvi, a 17 year-old Oakville resident

Sharing the Data with the Community

We want to empower our community by not only sharing the data we collect, but by providing insight, information, training, and guidance on how to understand and use it to work toward positive results. The two key strategies implemented for collecting the survey data last spring (by the community for the community and peer to peer engagement) will again form the foundation for the release of Halton Youth Impact Survey results.

Our process for preparing the data for use includes not only analysis and translation but review and feedback from the OKN Research Committee (taking place now) and an opportunity for reflection and response from youth themselves at a virtual Youth Impact Survey Data Party, on Tuesday, Nov. 30. And of course, youth will continue to have a role in the release of these results as we move forward in the next few months.

In a few weeks, these activities will be complete, and the information and insight gained will be integrated into a comprehensive Knowledge Translation strategy to share the data with professionals like yourself across Halton. We expect to implement the Halton Youth Impact Survey results strategy in early 2022. Read more about the strategy.

More information about National Child Day:

https://nationalchildday.org/
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/national-child-day.html
https://www.unicef.ca/en/blog/5-ways-celebrate-national-child-day