As a society, we can progress by bridging connections, working together, and educating others through individuals’ unique experiences. This is certainly true for research as well, and Youth Advisory Boards can act as a significant liaison.
Youth Advisory Boards are mutually beneficial for both researchers and adolescents as there is a tremendous deal to gain. Youth Advisory Boards allow researchers to acquire different perspectives from the adolescents’ experiences to better inform their work; for youth, serving on a youth advisory board could be a tremendous avenue to work with real researchers, get involved in projects and ongoing studies being conducted, and network with professionals. The good news is, our research team can help:
To Researchers:
While researching adolescent health, it is critical to receive input from the adolescents themselves. At SMAHRT, we have our own Youth Advisory Board, which has been implemented into our research for the past five years. One of our researchers, Brad Kerr, can attest to the plethora of benefits and shares his experience working with adolescents:
- Youth see firsthand the important health issues related to social media. They know which sites are popular and trending, and they see when there are potential health risks. So, they help us understand important areas of research to pursue in a way we couldn’t on our own.
- Another important benefit is that youth are critical editors when it comes to the development of new surveys for adolescent participants. Youth can help us to understand how an adolescent is likely to interpret survey questions or other study measures we are drafting. This feedback lets us know whether survey questions need to be revised in order to ensure they are clear to adolescents.
- A third benefit is in the interpretation of study findings. Youth brings unique, important perspectives to understanding our data.
How to Create Your Own Youth Advisory Board
SMAHRT and the Technology and Adolescent Mental Wellness (TAM) program have a new funding opportunity to aid those who are motivated to create their own Youth Advisory Board. The funding will be available for up to 10 projects with a maximum of $4,500 to support efforts to create a board in order to inform adolescent health research or adolescent clinical care.
For more information and application instructions, download the request for applications: http://smahrtresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Youth-advisory-board-development-RFA-6.25.21-TAM77.pdf
To Adolescents:
Serving on a Youth Advisory Board could be valuable for a multitude of reasons.
- There is an opportunity to gain career exposure, foster youth-adult partnerships and share your perspectives to further social media research.
- Serving on a board could be an instrumental opportunity to network with high-achieving professionals who could mentor along the way or aid in the future.
- Exposure to research and professionals could spark an interest in a research career or inspire new passions.
Are you between the ages of 14-19 and want to get involved in a Youth Advisory Board?
Take the initiative! SMAHRT’s Youth Advisory Board is accepting applications until August 15, 2021. We are committed to providing board members with the opportunity to build research skills and develop leadership qualities.
Apply today: http://smahrtresearch.com/smahrt-youthadvisoryboard/
