The CIRC Center Community Engagement
The CIRC Center is driven by a youth participatory action research approach, with the aim of fostering youth empowerment and “transformational resistance” against social injustices.
Within CIRC, all research and knowledge translation projects are informed by the lived experiences and concerns of young adults. We actively involve members of our Young Adult Advisory Board (YAB) as co-investigators or key collaborators in project activities, and create opportunities for young adults to direct social change. Participatory activities are further enhanced by collaborations with our Family Advisory Board (FAB) and Invested Community Partners Advisory Board - comprised of peer specialist, service provider, vocational, and state agency representatives - in research and dissemination efforts.
We offer the opportunity for researchers, policy-makers, and service providers to gain input from our Young Adult Advisory Board or Family Advisory Board on ideas or initiatives related to community participation among young adults with serious mental health conditions from disadvantaged backgrounds. Individuals who request this service must complete initial training(s) on best practices for engaging with community partners in participatory approaches and agree to report back to the YAB and FAB 6 months after the last consultation. To request this service, please visit our Technical Assistance page.
Note: Participatory action research is a type of community-engaged research. Community-engaged research refers to a cooperative approach to research that includes partnerships and collaboration among researchers community organizations and agencies. Community-engaged research promotes co-learning and recognizes the strengths of community organizations, agencies, and individuals with lived expertise. For more information about community-engaged research, we recommend you visit the "Principles of Community Engagement (Second Edition)" report.
