In partnership with Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and Alliance Theatre, an Emory University Rollins School of Public Health research team will evaluate the effectiveness of an arts-based youth empowerment program in reducing community violence.
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health researchers Briana Woods-Jaeger, PhD, received a three-year grant totaling $1.2 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) to evaluate the effectiveness of an arts-based youth empowerment program, Youth Empowered Advocating for Health (YEAH), in reducing community violence.
In partnership with Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and the Alliance Theatre, the research team will examine if YEAH promotes youth protective factors like critical consciousness, positive racial identity, social cohesion, and hope for the future and reduces the risks for violence.
“Our commitment to the social and emotional well-being of our members is unwavering,” said BGCMA Director of Social Emotional Wellness Amber Barnes. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the CDC and Emory Rollins School of Public Health for recognizing the significance of our work and entrusting us with the resources to make a meaningful impact. Together, we are poised to ignite the unlimited potential of youth across Metro Atlanta. This collaboration exemplifies the power of collective effort in fostering positive change, and we are eager to share the impactful discoveries that emerge.”
This group randomized trial will follow Black youth between the ages of 12-17 at 12 Boys & Girls Clubs for 12 weeks after they enroll in the YEAH program. The study’s discoveries will support the understanding of youth empowerment strategies to reduce community violence among Black youth.
“We will be able to add to the emerging area of the role of arts in public health and violence-prevention research that takes a strengths-based approach,” said Dr. Woods-Jaeger.