WED-045 - Empowering Youth Health Leaders: Creating Impactful Change Through School and Community Partnerships

Brief Abstract Summary: Learn how a school district, public health department, and academic pediatric program are working together to build youth leadership in community health. Find out how to start a Health Youth Corps that empowers young people in underserved areas to tackle local health issues on topics of their concern through hands-on community health research projects. See how partnerships between different organizations can create a pathway for future health educators and advocates, giving youth essential skills in health education and community involvement while also seeking to address health care shortage issues in underserved communities. Get practical advice on setting up mentorship programs that connect young leaders with health professionals, helping build a culture of health advocacy and community strength. You’ll leave with concrete steps to bring this model to your own community.

Detailed abstract description: In this hands-on session, you’ll learn about a new program that trains youth from underserved communities to become health leaders, created through a partnership between school districts, a public health department, and an academic pediatric program. This Health Youth Corps offers a lasting way to develop future health educators and advocates while addressing workforce diversity and recruitment challenges. You’ll walk away with practical steps for starting similar programs in your own community, even with limited resources.

Discover how this Health Youth Corps teaches young people the basics of health education and empowers them to do community research on issues that affect them and their families. You’ll learn how this program builds true youth leadership, lifts up underrepresented voices, and creates a culture of health advocacy that strengthens communities for the long term.

Through group discussions and activities, you’ll see the program's approach to mentoring, creating culturally relevant health projects on topics of interest to adolescents, and encouraging youth-led health initiatives. You’ll gain ideas for using school resources, public health knowledge, and mentorship to improve youth leadership programs.

You’ll leave with practical ideas for launching a youth health program, setting up mentorships that value youth voices, and building lasting support for the initiative. These strategies will help you start a similar model to create the next generation of community-focused health leaders.