Urban youth as community planners and leaders Exploring their potential with Urban Community Action Planning for Teenagers (UCAPT)

Document begins: Urban youth as community 6 planners and leaders Exploring their potential with Urban Community Action Planning for Teenagers (UCAPT) Laurie Ross and Mardi Coleman Introduction · The biggest problems they face are: 1) gang violence, often drug related; 2) after-school fights; 3) inadequate In Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, a growing number of safe space and programmes; 4) smoking ­ marijuana and teenagers are challenging the public's negative portrayal of cigarettes; 5) teenage pregnancy; 6) lack of jobs for 14- urban youth by becoming active neighbourhood 15 year olds; 7) violence; 8) problems with schoolwork; 9) participants and decision-makers. Urban Community peer pressure; 10) money for college; and 11) Action Planning for Teenagers (UCAPT), an urban, Northern relationships with boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, and adaptation of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and family. participatory action research (PAR), provides primarily low- · Drug deals, vandalism, and fighting impacts their sense income teenagers with neighbourhood problem-solving of security in and connection to the neighbourhood. and planning skills. UCAPT integrates indoor and field- Teenagers who do not feel secure in their based exercises, where young people learn community- neighbourhoods experience a chronic sense of worry and based development (CBD) and Geographic Information stress that permeates other ...