Leslie K. Goodyear and Barry Checkoway, Guest Editors

This special issue is dedicated to exploring an emerging field of practice that exists at the nexus of youth development, program evaluation, and community development and organizing. We call this practice "Youth Participation in Community Evaluation and Research." The theoretical and practical framework for engaging young people in community evaluation and research draws on well-established fields-Community Youth Development (CYD), Participatory Action Research (PAR), community development, program evaluation, and more-to inform important new advances in knowledge development at the community level. As a field of practice, this framework generates positive outcomes at the individual, organizational, community, and practice levels.

What do we mean by youth participation in community evaluation and research? WhatÍs in it for youth? for youth development and community development programs? for evaluators? for communities?

When we talk about youth participation in community evaluation and research, [we include efforts by adults to involve young people in research and evaluation of programs that serve young people; by young people to organize their own community action projects; and by youth and adults to work together in intergenerational partnerships toward social justice. All of these are legitimate ways for young people to generate knowledge of, by, and for young people as well as to inform the people, programs, and policies with whom they interact.

The authors in this issue demonstrate that engaging in community research or evaluation processes enables young people to exercise their political rights and build important critical thinking and writing skills, and prepares them for active participation in a democratic society. Initiatives such as those highlighted in this issue also reinforce the social development of young people, giving them opportunities to take on new responsibilities, learn how to work in teams and under deadlines, and take the initiative to create change. Programs that involve young people in research and evaluation projects benefit from youths'"local knowledge" as they collaborate with adults to plan, implement, and report findings of evaluations. Evaluators have the chance to actively engage and educate a new generation of community members, effectively socializing future stakeholders to the importance of evaluation for democratic decision making in programs and communities. Communities benefit from the active participation of youth in solving community problems and building bridges across generations within communities.

Over the past two years, a group of evaluators, youth development scholars and practitioners, youth activists, community organizers, academics, and funders have come together to form a supportive network committed to engaging young people in researching and evaluating the issues that affect them. In June 2002, this group of people met at the Johnson FoundationÍs Wingspread Conference Center to wrestle with important questions regarding youth engagement and to agree on some basic tenets that form the practice of youth participation in community evaluation and research. This meeting led to the creation of a document called the "Declaration of Principles" and plans for future collaboration.

This edition draws on the substance and collaborative spirit of the a series of meetings, including the most recent gathering at Wingspread, to articulate specific strategies for augmenting youth participation. We hope these articles encourage you to look for ways to engage young people as equal, active partners, in the many activities and processes that constitute community evaluation and research. The authors look forward to your inquiries and hope that you will join the conversation regarding the exciting possibilities for Community Youth Development, program evaluation, and community development when young people are actively engaged.