It's that time of year... when we get to center the youth experience and ask teens about their reality. The youth well-being survey gathers information from middle and high school students regarding important risk and protective factors that impact their academic, mental, and physical health. Students taking the survey do not miss any class time, and the results are presented in aggregate to Marsing Schools and no one else. The survey data supports youth after school activities, the school nurse, counselors, drug and alcohol prevention, the HUB, and community school coordinators.
The survey allows adults who care about teens in their community to accurately "navigate" our work by responding to their actual needs. It also allows us to check our work to ensure what we are doing is actually supporting youth well-being. Finally, the data collection can result in increased funding--in one school community we work with they have raised over 1 million dollars!
Parents Need to Take Action and Provide Their Consent
The survey is conducted anonymously, and students must have their parents' explicit approval to participate. In Marsing, you can easily provide consent online for your middle or high school student's school.
Help us Spread the Word about the Importance of Youth Surveys
Consider texting your friends in the district (or posting on social media) to encourage them to provide consent. Feel free to copy and paste the message below:
Hey! I gave permission for my child to take part in the youth well-being survey this October. I want the survey results to represent the needs of all the students at Marsing Schools, so I hope you will provide permission for your child too. It's really easy to do, just click here.
Send an email or have a personal conversation to make sure parents know why the survey is important and how to provide their consent for their student to participate.
How the Survey connects to the Communities for Youth SW Idaho Initiative
The Communities for Youth SW Idaho Initiative completes the student well-being survey each year as part of Step 2; "Center the Youth Experience." This allows for school leaders and staff, communities and parents, and also teens to come together and create strategic action plans based on the data summaries. We welcome all community members to join us for Steps 3 & 4 this year!
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