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METHODS <br />The Youth Master Plan development process was youth -led. Adults participated as co - <br />creators, equal learners and guides. In keeping with the theme of community collaboration; an <br />`appreciative' approach was used to discover assets and strengths as well as challenges and <br />weaknesses of various entities that affect youth of Thousand Oaks (i.e., individual, family, <br />school, friends, and community). This method was chosen as a means to facilitate open and <br />honest communication among members and to allow for equity in ideas coming from both <br />youth and adult Youth Master Plan Committee members. The appreciative approach required <br />the group to make collective decisions about the methods of inquiry and analysis of results. <br />This participative approach required a commitment to full group process,. consensus decision- <br />making and respect for all ideas. <br />The ad hoc Youth Master Plan Committee met 15 times as a full committee between <br />September 2001 and .lune 2002. At these meetings, Committee members worked both in <br />small and large groups to co -design and refine the Thousand Oaks Youth Master Plan <br />approach. At the first meeting, the Committee was asked to consider the following questions: <br />1. What are your highest hopes and dreams for the Thousand Oaks <br />Youth Master Plan? <br />2. What will this Youth Master Plan mean to Thousand Oaks' youth <br />and families? <br />3. What are some of the issues and constraints that this process should <br />consider —worst case scenario? <br />4. What are your thoughts on how we should go about this process? <br />The outcomes of this first group exercise served as the springboard for developing the <br />following themes for leaming about youth issues in Thousand Oaks. This list initially included <br />20 priority areas, which were eventually collapsed into six themes. After much discussion, a <br />seventh theme, transportation, was added. These themes are: <br />1. <br />Recreation & Entertainment <br />2. <br />Transportation <br />3. <br />Communication <br />4. <br />Leadership, Inclusion and Diversity <br />5. <br />Social Services <br />6. <br />Challenges <br />7. <br />Future Hopes and Dreams <br />July 2, 2002 City of Thousand Oaks Youth Master Plan 19 <br />73 <br />