Data & Insights
Listening to our
city’s youth.
Developing strategies for supporting youth starts with hearing them out. With the highest standards of privacy, we gather data to understand where community resources are needed most.
Guided by the data.
Gathering and processing local data is crucial to the success of the Planet Youth initiative. We collaborate with local school districts to facilitate the survey to Grade 10 students in our pilot communities, employing strict measures to ensure confidentiality at every step of the process.
Identify
It starts with learning from youth themselves. The survey is designed to identify key youth risk and protective factors, giving us valuable insights into community strengths and needs.
Act
Data is analyzed with the goal of providing communities with a robust understanding of what’s working to support youth in their environment, and, crucially, what isn’t—allowing coalition groups to act as needed.
Monitor
With biannual surveys, we will be able to assess substance use and mental health factors over time, allowing us to continually reflect on the process, and to revise and refine community efforts where appropriate.
What Calgary youth are saying.
In Fall 2024, we heard from Grade 10 students in our communities. The results of this survey are coming soon. Please contact us if you have any questions about Planet Youth, or would like to get involved in your community.
Adapted & optimized for Calgary youth.
Liaising between Planet Youth Global and the University of Calgary’s Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, we’re balancing fidelity to the proven Icelandic model while remaining focused on local problems and solutions.
Throughout the process, researchers at the University of Calgary will also conduct focus groups and talking circles with youth to hear about their experiences first-hand and better understand how their communities can help them.
Making sense of the numbers.
Interpreting the data effectively and securely is of the highest importance, both for determining existing substance use rates and the most effective course of action for improving community support.
After survey results are analyzed by the Iceland research team, researchers at the University of Calgary compare the data insights with on-the-ground learnings to reach a comprehensive understanding of Calgary youth’s risk and protective factors across four key areas:
- Family dynamics
- Peer group
- School life
- Leisure & recreation
