Practicing Authentic Community Engagement
A Liberating Practice for Youth Sexual Health Education
The reimagining of this report demonstrates the transformation that becomes possible when those leading the solutions reflect the communities who have historically been excluded in the systems that govern youth sexual health. By centering people with intersectional identities and unique living experience, the 2023 SASH report is holistically different from iterations past. Notably, the work that has emerged from the Youth Sexual Health Program Board is embedded in opportunity that is centered in pleasure and joy that uplifts the wellbeing and liberation of all young people — especially those whose identities have been excluded from youth sexual health education.
Numerous anti-oppressive practices supported authentic community engagement throughout the development of the SASH including prioritizing lived experience over professional experience in the recruitment process; compensating community members for their participation on the Youth Sexual Health Program Board and navigating barriers to compensation that arose; utilizing “Touch Points” rather than monthly meetings to ensure accessible and flexible participation among Youth Sexual Health Program Board members; and building bi-directional partnership through the creation of a Board Agreement document establishing autonomy and respect between Trailhead and the Youth Sexual Health Program Board.
These practices are discussed in depth in Trailhead’s Lessons Learned and Recruitment Process document.
Putting This Liberating Practice into Action
Included here are examples of authentic community engagement in action. These examples share how Trailhead engaged in this liberating practice in the development of this report, and identify ways to authentically engage communities that were included in the anti-oppressive recommendations developed by the Youth Sexual Health Program Board.
Continue to Explore this Liberating Practice in Action
These examples provided are not exhaustive. Further actions that center youth voice can be found throughout the anti-oppressive recommendations section of this report. Across all sectors, partners will find opportunities to engage in this liberating practice.
We invite you to explore these recommendations in depth for opportunities to take immediate action, engage in learning, conversation, and collaboration, and envision new ways to engage young people in sexual education.
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This report is developed by young people and adults whose intersectional identities have historically been excluded in conversations about youth sexual health.
Throughout the Youth Sexual Health Program Board recruitment process, Trailhead and Consulting Within Your Context focused on recruiting people of color with living experience, who are not paid as a part of their professional role to sit on boards and committees. A total of four young people and 11 adult board members were recruited with an intentional focus on racial identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, different abilities, and immigration experience.
Visit the Lessons Learned section to learn more about the recruitment process for the SASH report.
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From the onset of the SASH initiative, Trailhead prioritized paying community members for their participation on the Youth Sexual Health Program Board, recognizing that this practice is integral to ensuring equitable community engagement that honors the time and expertise participating community members.
Several barriers to compensation arose during the recruitment process that Trailhead and Consulting Within Your Context worked collaboratively with partners to identify, understand, and find solutions for. These barriers such as internal policies that mandated payments to organizations rather than individuals; IRS policies around stipends and income reporting; an incident of racial profiling at a local bank; and compensating youth are discussed in greater detail in the Lessons Learned section of this report.
Trailhead is applying the lessons learned from these barriers to all community engagement work across the organization.
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When convening the Youth Sexual Health Program Board for this project, it was clear that Trailhead needed to revise its traditional board agreement template to ensure bi-directional partnership and center the organization’s commitment to the recommendations that were to be produced by the Youth Sexual Health Program Board.
Consulting Within Your Context developed an expectations document for Trailhead as both an organization and for its leadership. This document outlined expectations that board members could have of Trailhead in this process and ensured that any power dynamics were addressed from the beginning. The goal of the document was to ensure bi-directional partnership, autonomy, and respect and its overarching aim was to disrupt the status quo relationship between organizations and boards.
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Learn more through the anti-oppressive recommendations for funders.
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Learn more through the anti-oppressive recommendations for data and youth sexual health.
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Learn more through the anti-oppressive recommendations for community-based organizations.
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Learn more through the anti-oppressive recommendations for shifting culture.