LEAPS Safer Spaces Cluster Study

Leadership & Evaluation to Advance Program Success June 2015

Prepared by

LEAPS for Environmental Literacy: Building Safer Spaces for Tradi6onally

Underrepresented Youth

Cluster Study Overview 3

Par

Cluster Study Overview

4

The Path to Cluster Studies

Seventeen LEAPS organiza6ons have engaged in ongoing technical assistance to develop their evalua6on capacity since October 2012. During the rst phase of this ini6a6ve, organiza6on representa6ves aKended trainings focused on founda6onal evalua6on and learning concepts: theories of change, logic models, evalua6on plans, tool development, data analysis techniques, and communica6ng eec6veness. They also engaged in a range of leadership capacity building ac6vi6es.

In the phase that followed and with con6nued support from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Founda6on, Learning for Ac6on worked with clusters of organiza6ons to develop shared measures around three cross-cuTng areas of interest. The cluster study work arose out of an opportunity for the cohort to begin to document its collec6ve story which was further emerging aVer Phase Is work and the desire to advance organiza6ons evalua6on capacity through the hands-on, group learning experience this type of project would provide. Organiza6ons worked together to dene and form the clusters, collect data, and analyze the emerging stories.

LEAPS Cluster Studies: Safer Spaces

5

Early on we looked at research on the topic of safer spaces, and learned the following: While safer spaces are addressed a lot in the literature, we did not come across a universal or widely-

used deni

LEAPS Cluster Studies: Safer Spaces 6

Cluster Study Organiza

7

Research Ques

8

Qualita

Par6cipant Overview

Youth Backgrounds

Youth enter our programs with a range of experiences with safe and unsafe space.

10 LEAPS Cluster Studies: Safer Spaces

Exposure to violence; insecure economic status; insecure access to quality of life features like health and safety, healthcare, regular meals cooked at home; experience of ins6tu6onal and personal racism; sexism; hetero-norma6ve ideals. All of those have been imposed upon folks coming into our program to one degree or another.

-Pie Ranch Sta Member

My school is so large, and I only know one teacher who actually gives a fuck about me. Theres only one person I can talk to.

-Youth Speaks Par6cipant

You never know whats going on in other peoples households and they need to be listened to.

-YES Nature to Neighborhoods Par6cipant

Throughout our interviews and focus groups, sta and youth provided context about reali

A lot of these kids are dealing with issues of poverty and hunger and abuse and just kind of dierent family related traumas and those things are very real and present. Some6mes in stricter classroom seTngs they seem unfocused or comba

Lack of Access to The Natural Environment

Both youth par6cipants and sta describe how youth and families lack exposure and access to the natural environment prior to par6cipa6ng in their programs.


We dont get the opportunity to - some people dont get the opportunity to go other places, and go camping and travel around.

-WALC Par6cipant

I think it kind of feels elite to go to camp or do nature ac6vi6es. You might feel like you need to buy this equipment, or need money to get there. You might need money for the space. It has become a very elite thing to do.

-YES Nature to Neighborhoods Sta Member

You dont really get to see nature out here. -YES Nature to Neighborhoods Par6cipant

I was 14 years old and I had never seen a sunrise. -Seven Tepees Par6cipant

If I wasnt in here I probably would have no desire to go to Yosemite or even come all the way to the Presidio. Before, I knew the Na6onal Parks existed but didnt know anything; I thought it was just a park like, you know [makes a liKle round mo6on with hand].

-Crissy Field Center Par6cipant

Photo Credit: Crissy Field Center

What is Safer Space?

14

Acceptance/Belonging Acceptance; feeling like you

belong; inclusive; no judgment; posi6ve rela6onships; inclusion

of dierent cultures & perspec6ves

Sharing Culture Trust; empathy; sensi6vity; body

language; good listening; everyones voice is heard;

conden6ality and structure for sharing

Rituals/Inten

Acceptance and belonging emerged as one of nine core themes throughout our conversa6ons with youth and sta. Connected to this theme were the ideas of inclusiveness (including cultural inclusion) and no judgment.


Some6mes in Pie Ranch they have dierent events like Dia de los Muertos and things like that and it makes me feel like dierent cultures are welcome. One 6me they had a Na6ve American event. I like they include everyone. They respect the history of where Pie Ranch is. It makes it more safe.

-Pie Ranch Par6cipant

Honesty, comfort, conden

I think [safer space] can look like a lot of dierent things depending on the youth. Feeling, its more a youth doesnt feel like they have to be guarded or hold back. They can bring their full selves to the experience without feeling judged or leV out or like the other. They can fully par6cipate and its a place they want to come to. Its invi6ng. Curiosity is encouraged and they feel like they have a safe space and can also evolve.

-Crissy Field Center Sta Member

I feel like most of the families that were serving oVen dont feel like theyre a part, theyre lel out, theyre not part of the team. Making sure they feel needed and welcome and invited and important making them feel important and that what theyre saying is important is what I would like to describe as a safe environment for them.


Youth Development Prac6ces, CNYD

Promo6ng a sense of safety

Encouraging rela6onship building

Fostering meaningful youth par6cipa6on

Providing opportuni6es for community involvement

Crea6ng challenging and engaging learning experiences that help par6cipants build skills

18

PYD principles, Na6onal Research Council and Ins6tute of Medicine

Physical and Psychological Safety Appropriate structure Suppor6ve Rela6onships Opportuni6es to belong Posi6ve Social Norms Opportuni6es to Make a

Dierence Opportuni6es for Skill

Development Integra6on of Family, School, and

Community Eorts


Overlap with Posi

Naviga6ng and Maintaining Safer Space

20

Interviews and focus groups reveal a number of tensions that sta members are constantly balancing as they create and maintain safer space: o Structured vs. unstructured 6me o Personal vs. professional o Permissive vs. forceful o Structure vs. exibility o Stepping back vs. stepping in


[You have to] nego6ate personal and professional boundary. And the more professional you are the less genuine rela6onship. Its a hard duality and hard balance.


Beyond a Set of Prac

I feel like its hard to trust adults. You dont know what Im going through. Youve been youth before but you dont know what Im going through. Its hard to nd a rela6onship with an adult that seems meaningful. At Youth Speaks the adults here have a strange way of making the perfect amount of eort. Not Tell me your life story because I want to know and know your life struggle and relate, but they nd the perfect way. I can go to a workshop and be vulnerable and Ive been myself enough to open up to them. The adult sta command the safe space in their presence. Perfect amount of 6me to be fun and be serious. It helps me gure out safe space and grow as a person.


22

Less structure for what youth must be doing.

Promotes bonding with others.

Provides clear rou6ne. Supports punctuality.

Unstructured Structured


The trip going to Yosemite, theres a lot more

23

Gives youth more permission to develop at their own pace.

Can risk the youth staying in their comfort zone/not wan6ng to do the ac6vity.

Can get youth out of their comfort zone.

More adult-focused and driven. Can overlook the perspec6ve of a young person.

Permissive Forceful


If you dont feel comfortable just say one word, thats the beginning. Start with something. Olen I think we give in to their fears. I dont want to. I want to be respecnul of their fears and the things theyre feeling, but its like just one word.

-Seven Tepees Sta Member

I feel comfortable when someone respects my decision. I dont want to have to be like ok or forcing. I think its uncomfortable when someone forces you do something. For example, I dont want to run a race thats not relevant, but then the teacher would be like you have to do it or else youre going to get a bad grade.


Example: Permissive vs. Forceful To provide the right level of encouragement, sta have to balance when to be more permissive, and when to be more forceful.

Mindsets Be exible in facilita6on. Use disrup6on as a teaching moment.

24

What do you do when someone does something that disrupts the space maybe a conict comes up or a young person breaks an agreement?

Recommit o Maintain and

demonstrate accountability

o Revisit community Agreements

o Engage youth par6cipants to help enforce agreements.

Go Deeper o Ask deeper

ques6ons; dont make assump6ons; dont judge.

o Address in the moment & follow-up later

Protect the Space o If need be, pull

young person out of the space to a more private space with a leader

o When necessary, make referrals and/or seek support


Common Strategies for Managing Disrup

Its a place of vulnerability. I enter a conversa6on like that with ques6ons and a desire to understand another person, so that I can nd a solu6on that is going to work for the other person and myself. It takes a lot of centering yourself so the other person knows that youre not there to show your authority or put them down or anything like that. I approach it with curiosity and love and care and know that something is triggering them to make them act this way.


Youth Outcomes

Sta illuminate what the development of a young person looks like over 6me within a safer space. Each stage oVen included sub-themes within it.

Ini6ally guarded, bumpy, incuba6ng. Experimenta6on/risk taking/out of comfort zone. Within groups of youth: greater comfort, laughter, working

with a range of peers.

Shared responsibility for the space, bringing that space to others.

Con6nued par6cipa6on in the program over 6me (years).


Trajectory Over Time

Numerous sta and youth brought up either as a characteris6c of safe space or point in development the idea that safer space is one where youth can stop performing.


Its also a space where youre not afraid to be yourself. You cant really grow if youre pretending to be someone else. And, in that, being able to have fun. Thats the way I grow.


You dont have to hide who you are. -Seven Tepees Par6cipant

So much of our 6me, our young peoples 6me, is spent performing who we are. CraVing a performance and theres no room to fail. And [failure] is the founda6on of a breakthrough. When you get to fumble in front of someone and youre forced to apologize and its so humbling.

-Youth Speaks Sta Member

A lot of kids, especially kids of color, they dont want to be seen because theyre so used to geTng in trouble or people coming down on them, or being pushed aside, or not seen as the bright star that they are because the focus is always on the nega

I feel like If young people feel comfortable, wow it's such a broad gambit of emo6ons. I could say that they're expressive, they talk, they feel safe enough to argue, they might have an emo6onal outburst because of you do that when you're safe and you don't repress things. They're oVen very crea6ve. They're olen very emo

With any program that a youth is just stepping into even though there are community agreements and may be a shared understanding there are comfort zones or boundaries that can be crossed or pushed a liKle bit. At rst things may feel bumpy. Some6mes it takes overcoming a conict to see a harmonious balance occur. Those are helpful conicts that happen and I think they are necessary to get to know each other beKer. Ive seen a couple of 6mes where the rst few weeks are really challenging and things come up and its toward the end where everyone understands each other and connects to each other on a deeper level. At rst it isnt that way.


As programs progress its hard to describe the progression but I think one way is their interac6ons with other par6cipants and with sta. The youth themselves are cas

Voice. Youth and sta consistently, across all groups, men6oned youth speaking up more, developing more voice.

Feeling capable. Numerous youth highlighted feeling like they maKered, or capable.

Awareness of others. Youth and sta both discussed how young people become more aware of those around them and the inuence of their ac6ons on those around them.

Transferring Learning. In addi6on to holding the program space, youth and sta both discussed how youth carry leadership, environmental stewardship, and ini

Without this program I dont think Id be able to speak right now. I wouldnt be able to speak. Outside of this area, at school before, I would just sit in the back and do my work. Now Im in front, raising my hand. Why did this program help you speak up more? This program wants to hear your voice. They dont want to hear just half of the people. They want everyone to be involved. It took me awhile to realize that but when I did I took full advantage of it.

-Crissy Field Center High School Par6cipant

They make you feel capable. When you dont feel capable of anything, here you feel part of something and your voice actually maqers. I just look forward to being here. I go back home and Im actually part of something and I feel good. Some6mes I feel down, not capable of anything, and like I dont maKer in anything. Coming here makes me look forward to something.

-YES Nature to Neighborhoods Par6cipant

When sta and youth describe how youth are dierent as a result of safer space, one of the outcomes over 6me is a shiV from focus on self to a greater awareness of their impact on others, and greater apprecia

You see a transi6on from the rst 6me you meet with the youth to now. One girl, [for the rst year] her hair was always back in a pony tail and she was quiet and didnt par6cipate as much. As the year went on you really started to see strong voice and a natural leadership ability and we gave her more responsibility we handpicked her to do. [The following] year youd never know shes a whole dierent person in my eyes. Much more outgoing, much more posi

I have changed. In elementary school I used to be so hard on people. If I saw them crying I would laugh. And be like, oh youre crying because you want aKen6on. I used to say that and think that too. Now since Ive been here Ive seen that Ive gone through hard stu and when I needed help I didnt want that person to say what I used to say to other people.

-Seven Tepees Par6cipant

For me, Pie Ranch taught me a lot of things I didnt know before. Thats one of the goals of the program. It has really helped me and its made me want to get out there and be more involved. Right now, Im usually in classes, Im usually listening to teachers talk. Here in the program it makes me want to contribute to build up on ideas and things like that.


Connec6on to Environmental Literacy

40

Many youth and sta described how outdoor trips amplify and accelerate growth and development, while deepening connec6on to the natural environment.


When youre inside it adds to more stress and you feel trapped in a box some6mes. Like [another youth] said it liberates you to be outdoors and have fresh air and see all the greenery. I really like that about being outdoorsAt Pie Ranch you can make your mistakes, and they dont try to tell you. Because theres lots of dierent ways to do things outdoors. You can nd your own way outdoors and explore what you like to do, and I really like that about being outside.


I think the outdoor part makes the program a lot more alive.

-Crissy Field Center Par6cipant

Thats the thing about WALC you look at somebody and you would think that you have anything in common with them. And then, when you go on these trips, because you do spend 3-4 days with these people, its like you do grow into a family.

-WALC Par6cipant

Leveraging the Natural Environment to Support Youth Development

Being in the outdoors together and experiencing nature brought them together more than two weeks of classroom 6me.

-Crissy Field Center Sta Member

Photo Credit: YES Nature to Neighborhoods

I swear I have seen more youth nd their voice in the woods than anywhere else. For some reason, youth as soon as you take them out of the city, they let go of that person that lives here and they become this other individual [They] let go of all of that and start expressing themselves and want to be heard.

-Seven Tepees Sta Member

Every trip we go on, it always makes you respect the unexpected. Every 6me youre in the car riding to the campsite, you dont know whats going to happen. Once you get there it becomes an equal plane. Thats an atmosphere that everyone is now equal. You have no one greater than the other person. Which is really dicult when youre in the city because you think youre beKer than the other person but once youre there youre a team, a unit. That atmosphere, coming back from the trip reects on [youths] behavior in urban area where they start stepping up from what they previously have done and become a new person. They change. Its subtle but they change behavior some6mes, their ac6vi6es, the way [they are] It changes you into becoming a beqer person for humanity.

-Seven Tepees Par6cipant

As youth experienced growth, many described their rela6onship to the environment growing as well.


We used to go to [local park] every other Wednesday and we plant there, and before I joined WALC, I stepped on those plants. I did not care; I stepped on them. Now when we go there, Im like no, watch out, I planted that. That took a couple hours to do that, or it took a couple tries. Being more cau

I think that Youth Speaks encourages a global mindset thinking about life. It does encourage and promote environmentalism, because if youre thinking about a community outlook, your community as an important thing in life, youre thinking what is the outside environment like, what is the inside of my body, and what businesses am I promo6ng. At Youth Speaks youre a cool kid if youve got a metal water boKle and your food packaging is recycled. Its not like weird hippy but ooh youre cool, good on you. In a lot of places people get made fun of. When I rst went into public school I was the weird kid that ate real food and drank water not soda. Here Im cool.


Before WALC I didnt really give a shit about the environment. I was like fuck it, its going to go to hell way aVer Im dead. The next genera6ons going to deal with that shit, not me. When I got to WALC I learned how breathtaking the world is. I never thought Id like camping, but once I experienced it, I want to do it way aVer even high school. I want to do it in my summer in my free 6me. Its so breathtaking all the places weve been things weve learned about the environment, all that stu. Really fun. I would say it changed my perspec

Organiza6on Investment

Many sta members directly and indirectly highlighted the

Avenues for Future Evalua6on & Learning

Following our shared evalua6on eorts, we see the following opportuni6es: U6lize data gathered for sta and youth training and development. Build out quan

Takeaways for the Field

For environmental stewardship organiza6ons seeking to serve tradi6onally underrepresented popula6ons par6cularly those whose voices have been excluded building safer spaces may support youth in developing their voices, a cri6cal component of long-term stewardship.

For Posi

Building safer spaces takes 6me and organiza6on investment. Recognizing organiza

www.learningforac6on.com 170 Capp Street, Suite C | San Francisco, CA 94110

For more informa6on about the Safer Spaces Cluster Study, please contact Frances Tompkins ([email protected]) or Jessica Xiomara Garca ([email protected]).

Documents

LEAPS Safer Spaces Cluster Study