The RAPS project is all about including youth voice in how we understand and use public health data from the New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey (YRRS).
What is the YRRS? The Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey is a survey given to public high and middle school students all over New Mexico every other year. The YRRS asks questions about behaviors that risk students' health, such as drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs. While many states collect similar data about adolescent risk behaviors, New Mexico is one of the few states that also asks questions about a student's resiliency factors, or strengths.
What is RAPS? Every two years students provide us with YRRS data. The Risk & Resiliency Assessment Project for Students (RAPS) was developed to give the same students the opportunity to analyze the most recent data, present those data to interested community members, and engage in advocacy on behalf of their peers and community. The ultimate goal of RAPS is to make positive change in your school and community.
For more information about the RAPS project, contact Dr. Linda Peñaloza at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.