Evaluation Methods

Youth Participatory Evaluation (YPE)

The Anti-Hate Project team identified the need for collaboration with youth from both Park Center and Osseo Senior High Schools to implement various parts of the evaluation work. In doing so, up to 6 Youth Interns would be hired as part of the team to learn skills of evaluation, create materials, and implement the evaluation. Youth Interns would also be essential in providing their insights and experiences in data validation and meaning making.

The BBAY works closely with the City of Brooklyn Park as the city provides Human Resources services and is the fiscal agent to BBAY. When Anti-Hate Youth Interns were hired, they would be onboarded through the City of Brooklyn Park’s HR process. As part of onboarding, Youth Interns are provided a deep dive of BBAY’s history of the previous Anti-Hate projects. The Anti-Hate Project team met numerous times in the beginning to learn different evaluation methods in order to prioritize which methods of data gathering for the project. Based on an Action Planning session with Anti-Hate Project staff, Youth Interns, and staff from the OASD Data Team, these were identified as key actions in the evaluation work:

• Surveys

• Interviews

• Focus groups

• Record of data

• Marketing and communications

The Anti-Hate Project team (BBAY staff and Youth Interns) used a mixed method approach in gathering information in order to simultaneously raise awareness on identity-based harm, the OASD protocol, and gather information from students. 

1. Photovoice - Implemented by Anti-Hate Youth Interns in May and November at Park Center and Osseo.

2. Youth to Youth Survey - Implemented by the Youth Data Squad from July to September in the Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center area (with questions created by the Anti-Hate Youth Interns). *The 2024 Youth to Youth Survey provided a unique opportunity to add identity-based harm questions to a wider youth survey already being implemented by BBAY.

3. Survey - Implemented by Anti-Hate Staff and Youth Interns in November at Park Center and Osseo.

4. Interview - Implemented by Anti-Hate Staff and Youth Interns in December at Park Center and Osseo.

5. Focus Group - Implemented by Anti-Hate Staff and Youth Interns in December virtually with students from Park Center.

The Anti-Hate Project team of BBAY staff and 3 Youth Interns met on a regular schedule from February to May with a break in the summer months and regathered in September to December with 2 additional Youth Interns hired (as previous 2 Youth Interns graduated and moved onto college). Between and throughout the evaluation process, discussions were held in learning opportunities and gathering input from the project team. The Anti-Hate Youth Interns provided their unique insights from attending the schools in order to further provide meaning and validate the information gathered from their peers.

Overall, Anti-Hate Youth Interns expressed their interest in involvement with the project due to the added leadership opportunity, furthering their learning, and wanting an impact on their schools. They also indicated how much they enjoyed tabling at their schools during lunch time to gather input from peers during the surveys and interviews. The project provided a different insight into their schools and learned more about the protocol and systems at school. The need for more engagement with students and expanding efforts to gather input from various affinity groups at school was a limitation of the project identified by the Youth Interns.