Abstract
We discuss some of the lessons the investigators learned during the development, implementation, and dissemination phases of the National Arts and Youth Demonstration Project (NAYDP). The lessons learned are relevant to various groups involved in large-scale, multi-site, community-based intervention studies: parents, youth, researchers, project staff, policy makers, and funders. Specific lessons learned include: (1) how to engage the community; (2) methodological lessons, including cross-site training and monitoring adherence to research protocol; (3) recruiting and sustaining involvement of parents and youth; (4) program development; and (5) dissemination strategies.
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Acknowledgments
This work was generously supported by funds from the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, the Government of Canada's National Crime Prevention Strategy, the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the Ontario Ministry of Culture. A ``Checklist for Investigators Implementing Multi-site Interventions'' is available by contacting the first author at robin.wright@mcgill.ca. The checklist provides researchers planning to conduct multi-site intervention studies with a set of guidelines to support the development of their studies. These guidelines are drawn from the content of this paper and the authors’ experiences conducting the NAYDP study.
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Wright, R., John, L. & Sheel, J. Lessons Learned from the National Arts and Youth Demonstration Project: Longitudinal Study of a Canadian After-School Program. J Child Fam Stud 16, 48–58 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9067-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9067-4