Sara Goldman I. Investigators Assurance: See attached form II.

Project Title and Prospectus: Project Title: Measuring At-Risk Youth Knowledge about Safe, Healthy, and Affordable Activities in the Community Will brief informative sessions about safe, healthy, and affordable teen activities in the community translate into knowledge of such activities? The students who come to DESCC (The Delayed Expulsion School Counseling Center) are at risk of dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, and drug use. They are also often from poverty affected families. Students with these challenges very often dont know about the resources available to them in the community. The resources we will discuss are activities such as the Teen Club at the Boys and Girls Club, SUN school programs, Free Geek volunteer opportunities, Portland Art Museum, Teen Club at the public libraries, and teen classes and outings through Portland Parks and Recreation. It is hoped that through brief informative sessions, students will gain knowledge about safe options for fun activities for teenagers. If they choose to access the resources, they will be building positive skills. Research has shown that two protective factors for teens are community involvement and positive extracurricular activities. (Wittenburg, 1988) The first step in accessing these positive activities is education. Students will participate in a 30-minute group lesson informing them of activities in the community. These lessons will be incorporated as part of the regular curriculum of life skills that are covered at DESCC. If a family does not consent to be a part of the study, they will still receive the lesson, but will not take the pre or post assessment. For students who have consented, prior to the 1st lesson they will take a pre-survey measuring their knowledge of safe, healthy, and affordable activities in their community. Following the final lesson, they will fill out a post-survey to measure any shifts in their knowledge. III. Exemption Claim for Waiver of Review: This research falls under Waived Review. It is research involving the use of anonymous surveys in an educational setting. IV. Subject Recruitment: The subject population will be students at the Delayed Expulsion School Counseling Center (DESCC). These are students who have been expelled from their Portland Public School. The DESCC population is usually more than 75% minority populations, over 80% eligible for Free and Reduced lunch, and about 60% male 40% female. This varies a bit year by year according to who is referred to DESCC. The approximate number of students who will participate in this research is 60. The students will be invited to fill out the surveys during regular class time. V. Informed Consent:

Students and their parents or guardians have an intake meeting prior to coming to DESCC. At this time they will be informed of the study and its roll at DESCC. The parent and student will be asked at this time to participate in the study. Please see attached letter. As the research is taking place in an educational setting and the only information that is gathered is part of a regular curricular assignment, the research presents no more than minimal risk of harm to the subjects and involves no procedures for which written consent is normally required outside of the research context. For these reasons a grant of waiver of signed consent is being requested. VI. First-Person Scenario: I came to my intake meeting for DESCC. In that meeting, which I attended with my parent, I was told about the DESCC program and a study that the intern was conducting. I was asked if I wanted to participate. I said OK and both me and my parent received letters telling us about the study. On Friday, Ms. Goldman came into the classroom and I took a small survey. Then Ms Goldman told the class about safe, healthy free and low cost things I could go to around town. She came in every Friday and talked with us about different stuff. We also talked about what things we like to do. In my last week at DESCC (I was there for 3 weeks) I took a small post survey asking me about what I learned. VII. Potential Risks and Safeguards: It is possible that some students could feel embarrassed that their families didnt have the money even for the low-cost activities. Also, as teens are so prone to peer pressure, it is possible that the activities could be perceived as dumb and any student who showed interest could be bullied. In order to minimize the risks, all students will receive the handouts containing the information about the activities, not just students who indicate interest. Also, all students will receive information about scholarships, when scholarships are available. In this way they will be protected from having to reveal their financial situation. VIII. Potential Benefits: Armed with knowledge of healthy fun activities in the community, it is possible that these at risk students could find enriching extracurricular activities in which to take part. The more healthy activities the students participate in, the less time they have to engage in risky behaviors. Also some of the activities have the added benefit of helping adolescents develop a positive sense of identity. IX. Confidentiality, Records, & Distribution: As the surveys will be completely anonymous, there is no risk of confidentiality being breeched. At no point in the research or subsequent report will any student names be attached to any of the data collected. X. Appendices: Please see attached for a copy of the pre and post assessments, as well as the consent forms. 2

Assessment Instrument:
PRE TEST 1.) What kind of things do you do for fun outside of school? 2.) What kind of activities are there for teens in your neighborhood? 3.) Do you ever go to your local community center? Yes No

POST TEST 1.) What kind of things do you do for fun outside of school? 2.) What kind of activities are there for teens in your neighborhood? 3.) Do you ever go to your local community center? Yes No 4.) Would you ever go to your local community center? 5.) Did any of the activities you heard about sound interesting to you? 6.) Would you go to any of the events you heard about? 7.) If you would go, which ones? If you wouldnt go, why not?

Sources:
Wittenberg, S. K. (1988). Youth-at-Risk: Who Are They, Why Are They Leaving, and What Can We Do?

Chew, W., Osseck, J., Raygor, D., Eldridge-Houser, J., & Cox, C. (2010). Developmental Assets: Profile of Youth in a Juvenile Justice Facility. Journal of School Health, 80(2), 66-72.

CONSENT FORMS: INFORMED CONSENT PARENT PERMISSION LETTER

Dear Parent or Guardian, We are conducting a research study with DESCC students measuring youth knowledge about safe, healthy, and affordable activities in the community. We are requesting that you allow your student to participate. Participants in the study will be asked to take a short survey. Afterwards, students will learn a bit about fun low or no cost teen activities available in the community. Participants will also complete a brief survey after the lesson to see if they learned anything useful to them. Students who participate will complete the study during the lesson. Regardless of if you decide to participate, your student will still learn about the activities. There are no foreseeable risks to participating in the study. No names will be used in filling out the studys forms so all responses will be anonymous. Participation in the study is entirely voluntary and there will be no penalty for not participating. All students for whom we have parent consent will be asked if they wish to participate and only those who agree will complete the surveys. Moreover, participants will be free to stop taking part in the study at any time. Portland State Universitys Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved this study. Should you have any problems or concerns about the study please contact the Human Subjects Research Review Committee, Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, 600 Unitus BLDG., Portland State University, (503) 725-4288/1-877-480-4400. If you have any questions about the study itself, please contact Sara Goldman at 503-239-8033 or email address golds@pdx.edu. Please keep this letter for your records. Sincerely,

Sara Goldman Graduate School of Education Masters Candidate in Counseling

SHORT ASSENT FORM FOR YOUTH You are being invited to participate in a research study. We are doing this to learn more about youth knowledge about safe, healthy, and affordable activities in the community. If you agree to be in this study, you will be asked to fill out a pre and post survey. We will keep everything you tell us private. No one will know how you answered the questions. You can be completely honest and you wont get in trouble. If you agree to be in the study, we will ask you to do the pre and post surveys. If you have any questions, you can ask Ms. Sara Goldman. You do not have to be in the study, and you can stop if you do not want to do it, at any time. Childs Assent: I have been told about the study and know why it is being done and what I will be asked to do. I also know that I do not have to do it if I do not want to. If I have questions, I can ask Ms. Sara Goldman. I can stop at any time. My parents/guardians know that I am being asked to be in this study.

We will give you a copy of this form so you can take it with you whether you agree or not.