Book a Youth Researcher using the form below.
Explore supports a partnership between young people and researchers to enhance the relevance and responsiveness of research (and post-research responses) to young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
Explore is funded by Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies (CRIS) in which CMY is an integral community player.
Youth Co-research Toolkit for Researchers
A toolkit for researchers who wish to meaningfully engage young people as co-researchers to explore and solve real world problems, together.
This toolkit is designed to empower researchers looking to engage young individuals as co-researchers in tackling real-world issues. It provides valuable guidance, practical advice, and tools for fostering collaborative partnerships between researchers and youth. While primarily drawing from the experiences of those in social and cultural youth studies, these resources can be applied across various research domains.
The resources in this toolkit were developed by researchers (including youth researchers) at the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University in partnership with the Centre for Multicultural Youth.
The toolkit resources were informed by the collective learnings of:
- researchers who have worked with youth researchers in co-research projects at the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies;
- youth practitioners (Jess Case, Edmee Kenny, Willow Kellock and Soo-Lin Quek) at the Centre for Multicultural Youth; and
- young people involved in the Centre for Multicultural Youth’s Explore program. We also drew on the current literature and existing youth participation and engagement guides, including the Wellbeing Health & Youth Guidebook for Youth Engagement in Health Research.
A toolkit for young people interested in research and co-research
Developed by CRIS, this toolkit will support and guide you on the early stages of your research journey. While the focus is on social research, there’s plenty of helpful information for other areas of research.
About Explore members
Known as Youth Researchers, Explore members have undergone training to develop facilitation, research and co-design skills and knowledge, and have been introduced to a range of tools that promote youth participation in research, consultation and evaluation.
Youth Researchers draw upon this training, as well as their lived experience to engage directly in any stage of the research process, including:
- Workshopping themes, topics or scope of research.
- Design, co-design or consultation on research methods.
- Facilitation or co-facilitation of focus groups and interviews, dissemination of surveys and participant recruitment and engagement.
- Analysing data, reviewing research tools, translating findings.
- Program Evaluation.
Book a Youth Researcher using the form below.
As co-researchers/advisors
We draw upon our training and lived experience as young people, students and professionals to inform the direction of your research, ensuring that the methods being used and questions being asked, are relevant and responsive to the research cohort.
We use our youth participation expertise to ensure that other young people are meaningfully involved in research to strengthen the depth and quality of research involving them.
As facilitators
We are experienced facilitators who talk to young people as partners—rather than just research subjects. We facilitate research that belongs to young people as much as academics, ensuring young people remain actively engaged throughout the research process.
We use our knowledge and position as young community members, to conduct interviews and focus groups that are culturally and age appropriate.
As data analysts
We bring a diversity in perspective and experience that will add nuance and insight into data analysis, and help communicate research back to young people and those from CALD backgrounds in a meaningful and relevant way.
The Explore Program
Hear experiences of youth-researchers
Please read through the Youth Researcher Engagement Guidelines before booking a Youth Researcher.
Book a Youth Researcher
If you are interested in engaging a Youth Researcher to support your research project, please fill out your details below and our Project Officer will be in touch.
If you have any questions about engaging an Explore Youth Researcher, please contact:
Edmee Kenny | Senior Policy Advisor
E | ekenny@cmy.net.au
P | (03) 9340 3725