Maintaining community-engaged research with young people in a virtual setting

Online Publication Date:
March 20, 2023
Publication Status:
Published
Published Article MUSE Link:
Manuscript PDF File:

**Published in Progress in Community Health Partnerships (PCHP) 17.2. All rights reserved.**

ABSTRACT
Background:
 Partnering with young people to conduct research is fundamental to community mobilization. Recent restrictions on in-person interactions and engagement presented limitations for continued partnership with young people.
Objective: To present a practical strategy and lessons learned to facilitate community-engaged research with youth in a virtual setting.
Methods: Based on youth engagement tenets, the TEAM (Tailor the compensation package, Ensure meetings are accessible, Accommodate personal needs, and Maintain the structure of in-person meetings) strategy was used to adapt the partnership to a virtual setting.
Lessons Learned: Three lessons are discussed: (1) the importance of maintaining social connectedness, (2) maximize flexibility, and (3) focus on creativity and competency building.
Conclusion: The COVID pandemic forced researchers to rethink previous engagement practices that relied heavily on in-person interactions to be sustainable. The TEAM strategy is one way to successfully adapt practices and engage young people in virtual settings.