The Theory

How can we help young people make decisions that support their health and well-being today and in the future while avoiding behaviours – like substance misuse and sexual risk-taking – that put them in harm’s way? 

This is a question asked by the many people who care about young people, including parents, teachers, researchers, youth workers, public health professionals, social workers, and young people themselves.  Research-based and practice-based evidence in youth health promotion is increasingly pointing away from trying to prevent specific risk behaviours such as substance misuse and sexual risk-taking through education and awareness-based approaches, and towards solutions that strengthen young people’s resilience and enhance the protective factors in the environments in which they live, learn, and play.  Youth engagement is increasingly seen as an important strategy for promoting young people’s health and development.

Similar to other community empowerment approaches used in health promotion, youth engagement is an art rather than a science.  It is a process that happens over time, is based on relationships, and works best when tailored to the young people and their local context with whom you will work. 

There are many different definitions for youth. This project focuses on youth in middle school (i.e., Grades 6 to 8 and typically 11 to 14 years old), also known as “tweens”.  The information and strategies in this toolkit can be adapted for use with an older youth population.

Refer to the OPHA Youth Engagement Toolkit – Section 1 for more information on:

• Understanding middle school-aged youth
• Understanding health issues affecting middle school-aged youth
• Understanding what affects the health of middle school-aged youth