Nuf Said

An analysis of the NUF SAID survey results reveals a youth population in Chicago concerned about employment opportunities and violence in their communities. An excerpt of the analysis is below (click here to read the full PDF document).

“Overall the theme of uncertainty recognized among youth researchers was also clearly apparent in the responses of the young people in our sample. Their biggest overarching concern is not having a job with good wages (33.8%), a fear that is even more pronounced among older youth 18-24 year old (46.0%). A job is primarily seen as a means to gain independence (31%) by way of paying for living expenses (18.2%) and more generally to build one’s future (23.6%), which corresponds with mainstream normative expectations of economic independence as a critical precondition for the achievement of adult status. Consequently, young people view certain types of activities such as making fliers during an afterschool program as a job only if they provide monetary rewards (37.6%), opportunities to increase one’s human capital through the acquisition of skills (21.8%) or stability (13.9%). Without a job, the majority of youth in our sample would look for a job (74.4%), but they would also be more likely to hang out (74.1%) and while about half would study more (51.4%) about one fourth (23.3%) thinks that a job might actually keep them out of trouble. The latter point is important to keep in mind, because jobs and opportunities for youth were also seen as the most important way to prevent violence in the neighborhood (38.5%).”

Explore all the NUF SAID data-inspired youth media in one place using our media browser. Click on this post or ‘Survey Results & Media’ on the top menu to reach it.

NUF SAID youth analyze data collected from their peers

It’s no secret that youth are drawn to the social media technologies that have come to define their generation. It’s difficult to find a young person these days who doesn’t have at least one regularly-updated profile on any of a number of social networking sites.

But for a group of youth media makers in Chicago, using social media technologies has gone beyond the routine status update or IM session. These young artists and journalists have used the power and popularity of social networking sites to disseminate peer-to-peer surveys. The surveys, written by youth, for youth, ask young respondents to weigh in about the issues they care about most.

The project, called NUF SAID, is a program of the Chicago Youth Voices Network that engages youth from around the city through the collaborative efforts of ten Chicago-based youth media organizations. The NUF SAID crew has been working since January to create and circulate the online surveys, which have attracted over 850 respondents.

But the project doesn’t end there. The NUF SAID youth participants plan to use the data they collect from the surveys to inform their media creation this summer. As journalists and artists, they are trained to find out what their peers care about most and respond with thoughtful and compelling media. Using familiar social media technologies is just one more way for youth media makers to understand how young people are faring in their communities and then use the power of media to bring these stories to life.

Look for lots of original NUF SAID media coming this summer.

CYVN’s NUF SAID crew will be holding its two-part final event on Wednesday, October 27th at The Chicago Urban Art Society [2229 S. Halsted]. The culminating event will feature NUF SAID youth presentations and public launch of the NUF SAID website.
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The Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC) has nominated CYVN’s NUF SAID project for a Data Innovation Award! The award honors “groups and individuals committed to making data accessible, understandable and actionable in Chicago and the region.” NUF SAID representatives will be present at the awards ceremony on September 15th, which will also celebrate MCIC’s 20th anniversary. MCIC is a research and consulting group dedicated to empowering the nonprofit sector with critical information to make better strategic development decisions.

Top pollsters Jaylin McClinton, Nedra Ward, and Lovely Howard

NUF SAID awarded the three youth pollsters who recruited the highest number of their peers to take the online Youth Status Surveys. The three top pollsters were Lovely Howard from Free Spirit Media, Nedra Ward from Columbia Links, and Jaylin McClinton from True Star. These three youth used social media tools to get the word out about the NUF SAID project and direct their peers to take the survey.

The top pollsters received Flip Cams that they can use to create media that bring the survey data to life. Thanks to their efforts and the efforts of the rest of the other hard working youth pollsters, over 850 youth in Chicago took part in the status survey.

*From NUF SAID Youth Status Survey

Early results from the NUF SAID youth status surveys reveal that Chicago youth are very concerned about access to employment opportunities. When asked “What is the biggest problem facing you and your family?” 32% of respondents answered “Not having jobs with good wages.” Meanwhile, 21% of youth respondents reported “Crime and violence” as the biggest problem in their communities.

Youth producers in Chicago are preparing to launch their unprecedented, city-wide youth media project, NUF SAID. Starting on the afternoon of Friday, April 9th youth producers will be using their social networks to distribute peer-to-peer digital surveys. The youth-created surveys will take the pulse on how young people in Chicago are dealing with the challenges of the economic recovery.

All survey respondents will be registered to win a Flip Cam. So, youth of Chicago, get ready to take the survey and make your voice heard!

Yesterday,  TrueStar executive director DeAnna McLeary and Salome Chasnoff, BeyondMedia executive director,  briefed a crowd of 200+ high school students at the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago/McCormick Foundation High School Journalism Awards on the NUF SAID project.

The following one-page info sheet breaks down the project basics–the who, what, where and why’s of the polling and reporting. Please feel free to use this nuf_said_onesheet to spread the word about NUF SAID.

Thanks to all the participants who contributed to our NUF SAID logo contest. Here’s the winning entry:

Look out for our newly designed website, coming soon…