Welcome! Youth-led programs (YLP) use many tools to aid in the planning processes as they seek to create change in their communities. The main tool used to plan for community change is the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). To assist in this process, YLP also use the Youth-Led Community-Based Process Strategy Map and a Macroplan. This allows YLP to establish a data-informed problem of practice and root causes to ensure that they are focused on measurable outcomes.
To support those interested in planning for community change, we created a series of resources to be used by both youth and adult allies engaged in YLP. Watch this short introductory video to see how these resources can be used to help your YLP plan for change in your community.
How do adult allies support young people in planning community change?
The Strategic Prevention Framework
A framework for change
The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) is one of two frameworks that inform YLP. How will YOU utilize the SPF to create change in YOUR community?
Webinars and Videos
This video provides viewers with a unique graphical approach to the implementing the SPF process. How will YOU use this video to assist YOUR YLP in implementing the SPF?
This video outlines how to access data from the Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey and other sources. How will YOU use data to inform your YLP?
This video helps adult allies and youth in YLP determine a problem of practice supported by data. How will YOU use this video to address issues in YOUR community?
This video helps adult allies and youth in YLP determine the root causes related to their problem of practice. How will YOU use this video to address issues in YOUR community?
Templates and Tools
Adult Ally Planning Tools
The Adult Ally Planning Tools outline the planning activities necessary for change. How will YOU use these to plan inside of YOUR YLP?
YLP CBP Strategic Plan Map
The Youth-Led CBP Strategic Plan Map guides adult allies and youth through the community-based process of implementing change. How will YOU use this map to guide YOUR YLP?
Community-Level Strategic Plan Map
The Community-Level Strategic Plan Map helps youth-led groups articulate their theory of change and theory of action for influencing change. How will YOU use this map to guide YOUR YLP?
Voices from the Field: How Adult Allies Are Using These Resources
Beth Thomas
HC3: Healthy Choices Caring Communities
Fulton County
Strategic Plan Map Tutorial and Guidance
The SPM is an excellent tool for adult allies to document the process the young people go through as they identify problems of practice, analyze data, plan and implement strategies, and evaluate their outcomes. As leaders of the Northwest Ohio Network, a regional learning community for adult allies, we use these tools to support the adult ally participants to help them to capture the work of their young people. By understanding the processes involved in youth led programming, the adult allies can be very intentional in their planned activities to engage and empower young people to become community change agents. The SPM and its components can be used to help funders and community stakeholders understand the outcomes of your youth led programming.
Kelsey Smothers
Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County
Clermont County
Templates and Tools
As a visual learner, I like to use templates and tools to help me with any project I work on. Being able to see “this is what you put here” has helped me learn what steps are needed to facilitate a youth-led program. Any YLP should include the students’ input, so letting them create the strategic plan map could show them that this work is truly intended for them. I plan to use this SPF Map with my YLP. We could also use the SPF Map as a way to keep the students involved in our adult coalition – work on this with the students to let them have control over some of the initiatives.
Mallory Mahaffey
Clermont County
Podcasts
The podcasts from the Planning for Change webpage are excellent tools to give adult allies a clear idea on what it means to be an adult ally, how to effectively engage youth, how to empower youth in the decision-making process, and how to foster efficacy among youth in youth-led programs. If adult allies are confident in their understanding of what it means to be an adult ally and how to work with and encourage youth in youth-led programs, that creates an environment for change to happen.