Title
Receive a presentation from The Gonzales Youth Council (GYC) on the recently implemented participatory research study with the help of adult allies and research partners from CSUMB, and their assessment on how well Gonzales youth were coping with the COVID-19 pandemic as they merged into distance learning and the effects that the transition has had on their mental health.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Receive a presentation from The Gonzales Youth Council (GYC) on the recently implemented participatory research study with the help of adult allies and research partners from CSUMB, and their assessment on how well Gonzales youth were coping with the COVID-19 pandemic as they merged into distance learning and the effects that the transition has had on their mental health.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Gonzales Youth Commissioners and Council (GYC) is a youth-led group supported by the City of Gonzales and Gonzales Unified School District. Since its establishment in 2013, it has pioneered a myriad of projects such as the adoption of the Social Host Ordinance in 2017, the No Straw November Campaign in 2017, and it has led the conversations on establishment of a local Teen Innovation Center. The current GYC identified mental health as as a priority area this year. They implemented several strategies including efforts focused on reduction of stigma, the promotion of resources and access through a social media campaign and most recently, implemented a participatory research study with the help of adult allies and research partners from CSUMB. They wanted to assess how well Gonzales youth were coping with the COVID-19 pandemic as they merged into distance learning and the effects that the transition had on their mental health, if any. Initially, the GYC wanted to host a round of workshops for youth (mainly high school and middle school students) to better understand signs of depression and/or anxiety and how to help.
There we...
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