Abstract
This article describes a novel virtual participatory action research (VPAR) approach to engaging youth who trade sex in Minnesota. The Minnesota Youth Sex Trading (MYST) Project switched to an entirely virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of an intergenerational team, Millennial and Generation Z researchers created a research-brand using technical marketing skills and knowledge of online youth culture to engage youth and other stakeholders in the project. This approach centered trust-building, accountability, transparency, and authenticity to build an online community and increase connection with marginalized young people via Instagram. Responding to COVID-19 and social uprisings, we have adapted our engagement strategies in ways that contain valuable insights into young people’s engagement in research. This article illuminates promising VPAR principles to engage youth online as experts in prevention, intervention, and wellness promotion, yielding important new insights about the future of engaged research
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 15-34 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding for this project was provided by the Carlson Family Foundation and the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA). We thank Barbara McMorris, G. Nic Rider, Katie Johnston-Goodstar, and Camille Brown for providing insight on the work of the virtual engagement team and thoughtful feedback on the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, Volume 25, Number 3, p. 15, (2021)
Keywords
- COVID-19
- engagement
- sex trading
- social media
- youth voice