(9) “My voice DOES matter”: impact of adolescent participation in a youth-driven community program

Background: The Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) Program is a Wisconsin-based community program that offers opportunities for positive youth development, leadership, and workforce development with the goal to empower and improve the health and wellbeing of youth ages 14-19.

Objectives: This project sought to examine the lasting impacts of participation in PATCH.

Design/Methods: People who participated in the PATCH Program between 2010-2023 were invited to participate in a mixed-methods, retrospective pre-post survey. Data collection occurred 10/26/23-11/13/23. The survey included 11 composite scales using 5-point Likert measures to assess job readiness, relationships, advocacy, self-worth, stigma, and health- and healthcare-related knowledge, confidence, and behaviors. Two individual questions used a 5-point Likert scale to assess understanding of public health and interest in a health-related profession. Respondents were asked to assess their agreement with the scale items and questions “before” PATCH and “because of” PATCH. Open-ended questions asked respondents to elaborate on the impact PATCH had on them. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare the retrospective “before” and “because of” PATCH survey responses. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach.

Results: 104 out of 299 (35%) people who participated in PATCH completed the survey. There were significant changes in all 11 scales and 2 individual questions (all p< 0.001) when comparing the average rating score “before” and “because of” PATCH. The largest change was in the advocacy scale, with the average rating increasing from 2.75 (indicating “neutral”) to 4.79 (indicating “yes”) (p < 0.001), demonstrating increased understanding of community decision making. Qualitative responses highlighted impacts of participating in PATCH, including: development of meaningful relationships and community; ability to advocate for themselves and others; and taking an active role in their health. Respondents described how PATCH helped them find their “voice” and empowered them to share their perspectives.

Conclusion: This comprehensive evaluation of previous program participants highlights the long-term benefits and impact of the PATCH program. The findings underscore the significance of meaningful youth engagement, offering valuable insights for future program development and implementation.