The Healthy Eating Active Communities (HEAC) Initiative aims to improve food and physical activity environments in six low-income communities in California. Engagement of youth and cultivation of youth leaders is a key component of the environmental change strategies employed by HEAC. Samuels & Associates, the HEAC evaluators, developed a Youth Study developed to capture changes in youth perceptions of the nutrition and physical activity environment and to measure the extent to which youth efficacy as change agents and leaders increases. This presentation will describe the Youth Study's multi-method approach, including: Multiple choice survey Gathers youth perceptions of their nutrition and physical activity environments as well as their perceived efficacy as leaders and advocates for changing the nutrition and physical activity environment. Focus groups Youth describe their perceptions and express their opinions on the following topics: the most effective strategies to address youth priority nutrition and physical activity issues, the greatest challenges to changing the food and physical activity environment, and the role of youth in HEAC community activities. Photo Voice This activity provides a digital camera to youth to document the environments they are trying to change. Photo Voice allows the evaluation team to see the HEAC community nutrition and physical activity environments through the eyes of youth and how these environments change over time. The HEAC initiative and evaluation are funded by The California Endowment.