Urban youths as community planners and leaders - Exploting their potential with Urban Community Action Planning for Teenagers (UCAPT)

Urban Community Action Planning for teenagers (UCAPT), an urban Northern adaptation of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and participatory action research (PAR), provides primarily low-income teenagers with neighbourhood problem-solving and planning skills in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. UPCAT integrates indoor and field-based exercises, where young people learn community-based development and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques. This article describes the context of neighbourhood conditions and how UCAPT works. It then draws on two case studies that highlight the roles of teenagers in action. The article concludes by reflecting on some of the challenges that working with teenagers poses.