Virtual Community Conversations With Youth-Serving Organizations to Understand Service, Support, and Resiliency During a Pandemic

• In Event: Remote Research Methods to Understand How Families and Educators Are Navigating Youth Learning During the Pandemic

Abstract

Objective
Developing a healthy learning ecosystem requires researchers and other stakeholders to understand the relationships between both formal and informal learning opportunities and infrastructure (Pinkard, 2019; Gordon, Bridglall, & Meroe, 2005). Publicly accessible datasets and new interactive GIS technologies offer a new type of place-based inquiry to understand what is available and who is served. However, these tools only support powerful interventions if the narrative about the local OST landscape and the decision-making ability are both in the hands of the community. We seek to work with communities to design sociotechnical activities that leverage geospatial technologies in ways that advance equity-oriented learning goals, especially during this time when the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting communities of color.

Methods and approach
The community conversations model leverages data and GIS maps with community-led discussion, interpretation, and decision making (Erete, Dickinson, Martin, Bethune, & Pinkard, 2020). Importantly, the work is designed around intimate face-to-face connections, including local meeting spaces with representation from educators, parents, and OST providers, catering from local businesses, and shared work tables. Utilizing the technology systems already in place, the community conversations model moved remote during the pandemic. Printed learning landscape maps (community assets from existing datasets) for conversations became interactive apps in ArcGIS and community meetups were held as Zoom video meetings facilitated by local partners with breakout groups to foster smaller group discussions. Data includes field notes from meetings and new data about learning opportunities and locations shared through a citywide OST initiative. The data is being analyzed through GIS mapping and thematically through open coding in collaboration with a subset of the community group.

Preliminary results
While this work is ongoing, the switch to remote methods has yielded new insights into community organization needs during this moment and new queries for the data. Organizations need more information and ways to share information between organizations. This bidirectional exchange of information is of interest as a way to: (a) ensure that all parents and families are aware of all available resources (learning opportunities but also basic needs such as food) and (b) equipt OST organizations with knowledge of current requirements and recommendations from city and state health organizations and leadership, including public schools. Organizations were especially interested in knowing who offered support for youth mental health and wellness, and who could provide families with materials and supplies. In turn, the public schools are recognizing the potential support from OST infrastructure and have requested maps showing OST locations within .5 miles of neighborhood schools.

Significance
While the pivot to remote research methods was initially thought of as a temporary adjustment, it is clear now that this is the model for the foreseeable future. The pandemic has also emphasized the critical need to keep these data sharing and interpretation and decision-making conversations going as new queries come up and a greater desire for information sharing around issues of infrastructure, support, and equity. It allows community advocacy for how to serve youth and families and promote ways to share and reallocate existing resources.

Authors

• Sheena Erete, DePaul University

• Jessa Dickinson, Digital Youth Network

• Nichole Pinkard, Northwestern University

• Caitlin Kennedy Martin, CK Martin Consulting