hbyers@sbh4all.org 
By Joey Kaji, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Nikhil’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Growing up, there is always an emphasis on maintaining our own health. In elementary school, it starts with our parents making sure we eat our fruits and vegetables. In middle school, it continued forward to sex education. Finally, … Read more
By Nikhil Reddy, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Nikhil’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. In the summer leading up to my senior year, I had the opportunity to work at UT Southwestern Medical Center. In the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center, I worked under a diverse group of medical professionals and clinical … Read more
By Rikhil Ranjit, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Rikhil’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. As teens, we have probably seen more and more students turning to drugs for wide-ranging reasons. Personally, Georgia’s Forsyth County has seen a dramatic growth of high school students turning to the abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and, more … Read more
Our 2024 ‘Be the Change’ Youth Training Program was our best yet! We had 37 incredible youth attendees from 17 states, eight youth co-led presentations, and 14 total youth presenters. Students engaged with workshops on the importance of social media in marketing school-based health services and innovations in school-based food insecurity programming, talked with adult … Read more
The 2023 ‘Be the Change’ Youth Training Program in Washington, D.C., engaged youth from across the country with a passion for school-based health care and community leadership. Youth attended plenaries and workshops and participated in activities to better understand various health-related topics. Topics ranged from vaping and sexual education to peer education and quality improvement … Read more
The School-Based Health Center of Fort Smith Public Schools (FSPS), located in Fort Smith, Arkansas, opened in July 2021. Since that time, they have developed a thriving Youth Leadership Advisory Council (YLAC). YLAC is made up of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who attend Darby Middle School, the campus on which the FSPS School-Based Health … Read more
Created by The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services, supported a social media campaign fully created by youth called “#Papaya -Youth Mental Health”. This resource was created by teens for teens to help them understand mental health, know where to get help, and know they are not … Read more
By Baila Salifou, former SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Baila’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. I was in my AP Biology class when my principal came into class and personally handed me a package from the School-Based Health Alliance. He placed it on my desk and told me there was an opportunity … Read more
