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Community Action Model (2022-2025 Cycle)

About Community Action Model (CAM)

The CAM cycle model is a five-step process that builds community capacity with youth and adult participants to become leaders in creating sustainable, policies that promote community health in San Francisco. Participants collaborate to critically reflect on the social issues impacting the health and well-being of their communities and how they can take action to change them.

The Community Action Model empowers YPL youth to become leaders in developing sustainable policies to improve the health of their communities and build skills for their educational and professional careers. In the CAM cycle, the youth leaders develop skills such as:

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  • Analyzing and communicating data

  • Collaborating on public policy drafts with lawyers and public officials

  • Continuously collaborating on project goals with peers and community members

  • Drafting letters-to-the-editor

  • Designing and conducting secondary and primary research (e.g. public opinion surveys, key-informant interviews, groups)

  • Interviewing key community stakeholders

  • Designing and distributing media materials (e.g. educational materials, social media campaigns)

  • Develop public speaking and presentation skills

  • Engaging the San Francisco communities in research

  • Planning and carrying out youth-serving events

  • Presenting and interacting with public officials

The CAM model has roots in Paulo Freire’s Popular Education model and shares similarities to other community and youth engagement initiatives. Since the mid-90s, the CAM model has resulted in many innovative policies for tobacco prevention and cessation in San Francisco (hyperlink: https://sanfranciscotobaccofreeproject.org/actions/successful-actions-by-community-capacity-building-projects/). For more information, see our Partners at the San Francisco Tobacco Free Project (hyperlink: https://sanfranciscotobaccofreeproject.org/actions/community-action-model/) and their 2017 CAM webinar (hyperlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy3dPTBXKOU&t=5s).

For updates on the YPL Blog for the current happenings of the CAM 2022-2025 Cycle on Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing, see the YPL Blog  

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