Youth and adult partners participated in youth asset mapping, a form of action research, to assess community assets and youth involvement opportunities. Qualitative data were analyzed to examine youths' feelings of empowerment and experiences with adult partners. Asset mapping contributed to youth empowerment, especially when adults were engaging and encouraging. Differences between youth and adult cultures presented some barriers to empowerment. Findings suggest that youth-adult partnerships are most beneficial when adults are knowledgeable about youth culture and factors that contribute to positive youth development, have skills for facilitating youth engagement, understand the benefits of youth-adult partnerships, and recognize youth efforts. (Contains 3 tables.)