Guiding Principles for Community Engagement: Reflections on a School-Based Sustainability Project

Abstract

This article describes an action research project in which community psychologists worked with a school community to promote environmentally sustainable practices. Our research team had five guiding principles: strengths-based, empowerment, role modeling, communication, and measurement and feedback. Here we describe a phenomenological study of how we experienced our principles and how key participants from the school perceived our professional practice. Each research team member completed a self-reflective survey and key staff and students from the school were interviewed. Amongst other benefits, the principles were valuable in promoting coherence within the research team, guiding decision-making and providing a framework for critical reflection. Recommendations are given for researchers and community practitioners interested in initiating sustainability projects with local organizations or using a similar principles-based approach in other collaborative endeavors.

A People‐Focused Systems Approach to Sustainability

“…As we have argued previously, this democratic, inclusive process is inherent to a definition of sustainability focused on human and ecological flourishing (see Harr e, 2018b;Wals, 2010); and helps prefigure the change it seeks. It is also consistent with community psychology's emphasis on individual and collective wellness (Prilleltensky, 2012), working with people's strengths and empowerment (Blythe et al, 2013;Christens, 2012;Perkins & Zimmerman, 1995;Riemer et al, 2020); and environmental education's emphasis on people growing and learning together (Wals & Dillon, 2013).…”

“…As well as drawing on the language and concepts of complex systems just described, our approach drew on core principles from community psychology and environmental education. In relation to community psychology, we focused on empowerment and working to the strengths of the organization (see Blythe et al., 2013 for a detailed outline of our use of these principles, developed in the early stages of the partnership). In brief, we attempted to facilitate the personal and relational empowerment of those involved (Christens, 2012 ; Perkins & Zimmerman, 1995 ) by creating a supportive network of sustainability advocates, careful listening, being readily available and responsive, and working together to negotiate the bureaucracy and politics of the organization and other agencies (see also Riemer, Lynes, & Hickman, 2014 ).…”

A Systematic Review of Community Engagement Outcomes Research in School‐Based Health Interventions

“…We would be remiss not to identify the importance of including community perspectives and insight such that this research agenda complies with the same principles that guided the process of conducting this systematic review. The principles of community‐based participatory research 4 and community engagement 38 provide useful guideposts for pursuing this research agenda. Further, guiding principles suggested by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) place stakeholders as equitable partners 39 —which is an important consideration for school‐based health intervention work.…”

The Maui's Dolphin Challenge: Lessons From a School-Based Litter Reduction Project

“…The project took place at a co-educational secondary school in Auckland. The school concerned has an ongoing collaboration with the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland that aims to enhance environmental sustainability at the school, conduct action research on various strategies, and share what is learned (Blythe et al, 2013). It is also part of New Zealand's Enviroschools network, a whole-school approach to environmental sustainability with a strong emphasis on participation (see Eames et al, 2008).…”

“…For some years previously, waste reduction had been a key focus of the panel, and a series of initiatives involving students, teachers, grounds staff, and external supporters resulted in a comprehensive waste management system and a 73% reduction in waste to landfill (Blythe et al, 2013; Waste Not Consulting, 2013). However, littering was still seen as a problem and a signal that we had ‘missed something’.…”