LAHS RAPS Leaders

The Risk and Resiliency Assessment Project for Students (RAPS) provides a model for youth leadership development and an opportunity for teens to analyze and act upon their school’s YRRS (Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey) data. RAPS engages youth in a root cause analysis of the data and a subsequent action planning process. Students develop a presentation to inform community members about the strengths and concerns they have prioritized. In the past LAHS RAPS Leaders have presented to the LAPS School Board, the JJAB monthly meeting, the LAMC Physician's Luncheon, the Los Alamos Community Health Council, and at UNMLA's Parenting University.

RAPS was introduced to us by UNM's Prevention Research Center and is based on the work of Getting to Y, a project originally designed by public health partners in Vermont. RAPS is a positive youth development approach to engaging students directly in the analysis and reporting of their own public health data.

LAHS RAPS Leadership Team members invited community members to brainstorm ways to resolve issues facing our youth on the evening of March 7th in Los Alamos County Council Chambers. Some of the challenges addressed were mental health, distracted driving, and other risky behaviors. The event included a presentation and an opportunity to discuss the 2017 YRRS data and propose possible solutions.