By Ketan Tamirisa, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member The following reflects Ketan’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Ben Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” During my time volunteering at a free-outpatient clinic in Dallas, I met a 15-year-old girl who was four weeks pregnant. She was complaining of … Read more
By Lauren Metcalf, SBHA Youth Advisory Council member For nearly 50 years, Title IX has protected against sex-based discrimination in public education and other federally funded programs.1 Title IX works to prevent sex-based discrimination by protecting people from dating violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sex-based discrimination in athletics, and, lastly, pregnancy and parenting discrimination.1 Although … Read more
by Lane Shaffer, Youth Organizer, Multnomah Youth Commission My name is Lane Shaffer and I’m a youth organizer from Portland, OR. I’m super invested in equitable transit access and ensuring people have the means to self-advocate through things like testimony and political organizing. I recently presented at the ‘Be The Change’ Youth Training Program and … Read more
Written by Baila Salifou, SBHA Youth Advisory Council Member The following reflects Baila’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Schools play an important and unique role in serving the healthcare needs of students. The sexually transmitted infections (STI) epidemic is highly prevalent in young people who, according to the CDC, account for 50% of new infections … Read more
By Brooklyn Waller, Youth Advisory Council member Brooklyn is a freshman at the University of Arkansas. She advocates for those without access to health care and for students to take advantage of their local school-based health centers. The following reflects Brooklyn’s lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions. You walk into your on-campus school-based health center (SBHC) to … Read more
By Christina Vo, Youth Advisory Council member Christina Vo is a 16-year old youth advocate from San Jose, California who is full of curiosity and passion for social justice through amplifying voices, speaking out, and creating change. School bathrooms stock products, such as toilet paper, soap, and paper towels, but don’t provide another basic necessity: menstrual products. One … Read more
By Tyler Lang, Youth Advisory Council Member The Youth Track is one of the many great activities at the School-Based Health Alliance’s annual convention. The Youth Track is designed to help educate our nation’s youth about the ever-changing world of school-based health centers, and about health care in general. They accomplish this by bringing in … Read more
