The Competency of Ethnic Children and Youth to Build Well-Being Communities for Chiang Mai Province's Indigenous Peoples in the Age of COVID-19

Abstract

This paper is a result of the project evaluation named "The Competency of Ethnic Children and Youth to Build Well-Being Communities for Chiang Mai Province's Indigenous Peoples in the Age of COVID-19", which was completed in 2021. The evaluation project has three main objectives: output evaluation, outcome evaluation, and impact evaluation. Furthermore, this evaluation study utilizes a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Also, the research aims to study a sample of sixty individuals, comprising children, youth, and project mentors. In addition, the research instruments employed in this study included questionnaires, a focus group discussion, and participant observation. As a result, the research revealed three distinct outputs: firstly, the identification of highly skilled ethnic leaders capable of driving the development and progression of their groups; secondly, the establishment of an integrated mechanism to manage the project; and thirdly, the creation of learning spaces through their practical work experience. Furthermore, this study showed the importance of COVID-19, which had an effect on both outcomes and impacts. COVID-19 plays a significant role in three outcomes: 1) the creation and expansion of children and youth groups; 2) increased time for learning and understanding their community context, focusing on well-being and local wisdom; and 3) the utilization of social applications to implement the project. In addition, COVID-19 has also generated two favorable effects: firstly, it has facilitated the generation of income and the emergence of new employment opportunities through online marketing; secondly, it has provided a platform for businesses to showcase their products online, thereby preserving their local identity.