Getting heard: a case study of community involvement with "at risk" secondary school students

Abstract

This research project is located in Porirua, a community where most professional social services (including secondary education) are delivered by people who, in terms of location, culture, and socio economic status, are not part of it. It is based on the assumption that a greater level of cultural distance decreases the effective delivery of those services. Using an action research approach, this case study has sought to involve community resource people (youthworkers), who are already working in non professional helping roles, with 'at risk' students in a secondary school. It examines the impact of their interventions from the perspectives of the school staff, the youthworkers, and the students themselves. The project has also developed a model for defining 'risk' in a New Zealand context.