Family & Community

  How can I help?

Community organizations can help by becoming Community Champions and advocating for area schools to participate in their free voluntary opportunity. We know that community members and organizations know their community best! As a community organization, you can help to inform schools about OHYES!, its benefits, and how to enroll. Community organizations and OHYES! staff will work together to get schools signed up to implement the survey. 

The OHYES! team has created a Community Partner Toolkit to help guide you in this process. Please see the downloads page under the Community Partners section. 

 

  Become an OHYES! Champion

Parent
Parents and community organizations can help support youth voice by becoming OHYES! Champions. Being a Champion shows youth that there are many adults that care about them and the issues that affect their lives.   
  
  • Encourage your child to take part in the survey. For more information see the FAQs.
  • Advocate for the schools in your communities to participate!
    • Contact your superintendent or principal. You can find their contact information on the Ohio Department of Education's website.
    • Your district superintendent/administrator will be asked to register their schools to participate. 
  • Encourage youth groups and organizations in your community to request their schools' participation.
  • Talk with your local Parent Teacher organization about the benefits of OHYES! Click here to download the FAQs document.

  • Share how OHYES! results will benefit your organization.

    • Training is available on how to access and use the OHYES! results.
    • Training on existing available data through the Ohio Network of Care will be available soon.
    • Contact us at info@ohyes.ohio.gov, and look for dates on the OhioMHAS calendar.

 

  How does my family and community benefit?

Communities will be interested in survey results for assessing local youth needs and targeting efforts to build and sustain safe and healthy home and school environments.

Many of the above community organizations are charged with community level planning that can be informed through this data and also have federal and/or state data requirements that the survey results will help to satisfy. 

Community organizations will also be able to use this data to write proposals to foundations, federal, state and local entities and other funding sources to acquire additional resources for their community efforts.

  • Survey results will provide needed information to better understand how to strengthen schools and make their communities safer and healthier. It will also allow communities to measure the impact of their efforts.
  • Communities can use the information to support requests for additional resources.
  • Results from this survey can also assist some community organizations that have foundation, state or federal grants to more easily fulfill reporting requirements.
For more information, click on the OHYES Results tab.

 

  Additional information for families

Click here to view the Parent Letter and Opt Out Form.
 

You can view a copy of the survey

A copy of the survey is available in the downloads page. A copy of the survey will also be available in the school office for parents and staff. Districts determine whether schools use the sensitive questions.

Students information is protected

Procedures are in place to ensure your child’s responses to the survey are anonymous and confidential. The survey is completed online. There are no questions that ask identifying information such as names or student identification numbers.

Parents or Students Can Opt Out

Ohio law requires parents be informed of school surveys. Parents will be sent a letter by their child's school notifying them of the survey and their option to opt out each child. This OHYES! process meets the legal requirements and is commonly known as "passive consent," because it minimizes administrative burden on the schools, maintains student confidentiality and increases response rates. Parents can choose to have their student not participate. Click here to download the Opt Out Form. Please complete a form for each individual student. Schools will be sending notifications to parents with specific instructions on when and where to submit Opt Out Forms.

 

  Youth

You are the expert... And you can make the difference

Your participation is essential! With OHYES!, you are the expert. Help us learn about your school’s climate and the health and academic issues that impact your quality of education and daily life. 

Health-related behaviors that impact academic success include substance use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, depression, violence, and safety. These concerns can also distract from school work.
 
The OHYES! may help identify areas of need for helping students become more successful. Results from the survey can help your student leadership advocate for creating safer and more welcoming schools.
 

Participating in OHYES! is a great way for you to make a positive difference in your school. Some schools may even offer a community service hour.