Youth Council
Mission and Background
Goals and Objectives
Leadership
Activities and How to Get Involved
Mission and Background
Mission: Our goal is to support young people as leaders who will work to eliminate health
disparities and promote social justice in their communities and around the world.
Background
The Community–Based Public Health Caucus founded the Youth Council in 2010 to provide
a national voice for youth to focus on addressing a variety of public health issues
such as exercise and nutrition, sexual health, and emotional well–being.
We are youth activists ages 13–24 years old (including middle– and high–school youth, and undergraduate and graduate students). We are supported by the Youth Council Support Team, which includes youth allies, near peer mentors, and representatives of youth serving–organizations.
Goal 1: Establish and maintain a youth council that builds youth capacity to participate
in community–based public health
- Objective 1: The Youth Council will establish a structure, decision–making processes, and a meeting schedule for the 2010–2011 year
- Objective 2: Youth Council members will engage in educational activities that will enable them to define public health and health disparities and give examples of each in local communities
- Objective 3: The Youth Council will establish a communication system
Goal 2: Create pathways to public health careers
- Objective 1: Youth Council members will have access to information about public health careers and educational opportunities to pursue those careers
- Objective 2: Youth Council members will be connected to local and national public health professionals for mentoring and support as they learn about public health careers
- Objective 3: Youth council members who do not pursue public health careers will learn how to apply a public health lens to their chosen vocation
Goal 3: Develop a national platform for youth to advocate for adolescent and young adult
health issues
- Objective 1: Youth Council members will have a working definition and understanding of policy/advocacy
- Objective 2: Youth Council members will be able to identify public health policy issues central to adolescent health
- Objective 3: Youth Council members will advocate locally and nationally around issues important to youth (e.g., adolescent health, other issues)
Goal 4: Establish and sustain an advisory committee of adult allies and anchor organizations to provide guidance and direction for the youth council
- Objective 1: The advisory committee will establish leadership, decide on decision–making processes, and develop a meeting schedule for the 2010–2011 year
- Objective 2: The advisory committee will collaborate with the Membership Development Workgroup to develop sustainability plans for the youth council
- Objective 3: The advisory committee will provide guidance and direction to youth leadership as they develop and implement plans for the 2010–2011 year
Leadership
Youth Leadership Team
Dequandra' Rankins, Strengthening the Black Family, Raleigh, NC
Maria Jose Diaz, California Walks, Oakland, CA
Alejandra Mendez, El Pueblo, Raleigh, NC
Cruz Nuñez, Partners for Youth, Carrboro, NC
Rubén Suárez, El Pueblo, Raleigh, NC
Past Leadership Team
Marjorie Freeman, Strengthening the Black Family, Raleigh North Carolina
Chris Chavez, California Walks
Korin Merle, Alameda County Dept of Public Health, Oakland, California
Kiki Chapman, Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance, San Bernardino, California
Quinton Williams, YOUR Center, Flint, Michigan
Diana Rodriguez, Kern County Network for Children, Sacramento, California
Alex Rodriguez, Kern County Network for Children, Sacramento, California
Maya Saunders, Center for Community Health Education Research and Service, Boston,
Massachusetts
Youth Council Support Team
The Youth Council Support Team (YCST) is made up of a dedicated team of CBPH Caucus
members from a variety of different community organizations. Together this group nominated
students who were active in their respective organizations to create the first CBPH
Caucus Youth Council and helped develop and support the Youth Council itinerary for
APHA in Denver 2011. The YCST continues to support and advise the CBPH Caucus Youth
Council and advocate for its success.
Wendy Alfsen, California Walks
Lashena Washington, Strengthening the Black Family, Raleigh North Carolina
Past Youth Council Support Team
Soni Sparks, Teen Jury, Flint, Michigan
Terrance Campbell, YOUR Center, Flint, Michigan
Kerone Anderson, CCHERS, Boston, Massachusetts
Activities and How to Get Involved
Youth council members participate in local community projects, presentations at local
and national meetings, and sharing with their peers using the latest social networking
tools.
In 2010, the Community-Based Public Health Caucus identified a need amongst their Youth Council for a comprehensive and age appropriate educational material on health disparities/equity, social determinants of health, and social justice. This idea transformed into the Health Equality Peer Educator (HEPE) training, which uses peer to peer education, online webinar software, class-based lectures, and both paper and online testing. Contact us if you would like to sponsor this training for your youth group. For more information on HEPE, click here.
Empowered Communities Begin With Strong Leaders...
Of All Ages
Please consider making a contribution to the CBPHC Youth Council, today. Every dollar helps to empower community development and helps shape our future community leaders.