Los Angeles

Manual Arts students invited to speak at the Impact of Student Health on School Performance informational hearing hosted by the Assembly Select Committee on Schools and Community!

On November 3, 2009, youth spoke along side staff from AssemblyMember Tom Torlakson, Mike Eng and Bill Emmerson’s offices, district staff, and the President of St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, Jim Mangia about the importance of student access to comprehensive health services. The students took this opportunity to inform Mr. Mangia of the challenges the changes in staffing has created and the need for more support for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. The audience included local and statewide policy makers, parents, lobbyists and other health advocates. (Top)
 
Manual Arts students rally to reinvent the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program on campus.

At the end of the 2008 - 2009 school year, students and staff learned that the staff supporting the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program on campus would no longer be staffing the health center at Manual Arts HS. In the fall of the current year, it became clear that the students on campus needed the program badly.  Members of the Policy Leadership Program started to notice an increase in pregnant students and a decrease in the number of students aware of the clinic and the services available. These students were at a loss for what to do until an alumni from the program, Jessica Guevara, now a student at University of Southern Caifornia, stepped up to support the students’ effort to reinvigorate the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP).  As a result, 3 students have lead the charge in recruiting new students to the group, finding an adult who has a bit of time to support their work and developing a plan that includes starting classroom presentations to students and teachers this spring. These presentations will promote the services available at the health center and will inform students of their options in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. (Top)

John Marshall and Manual Arts join together to host School-Based Health Centers United: Learn, Success, Empower policy briefing on February 27, 2009.

In Spring 2009, Manual Arts and John Marshall High Schools with the support of the California School Based Health Centers Association and the California Center conducted a policy briefing about the importance of school based health centers. Superintendent of Education Jack O’Connell and Senator Carol Liu of the 21st District were the honored speakers, but the stars of the policy briefing were PLP participants from Manual Arts HS and John Marshall High School. The student caught the attention of all of the adults and policy makers in the audience. Dale and Romina so impressed Senator Liu, that they were both offered and accepted internships with her district office over the summer. (Top)

Richmond

Kennedy High School students generate support for school based health centers while increasing the number of students seeking services.

Student at Kennedy High School promote the importance of school based health centers in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD). They have partnered with students from Hercules High School and El Cerrito High School to present to the school board. Their vision of promoting the positive development of all WCCUSD high school students by offering quality health and wellness services was the topic of their presentation, with anecdotes from students about the importance of the services to themselves and their peers, these students successfully communicated to the school board the importance of the services. In addition to the board presentation, students have conducted several lunch time outreach events on the Kennedy high school campus including an event on World AIDS Day which increased the number of students visiting the health center.

At the 2010 PLPSH & YWHLP Policy Conference youth created a powerpoint presentation to share their work with their fellow peers.  Click here to download presentation. (Top)

Riverbank

Riverbank High School secures Mobile Medical Unit for the school and community

In Spring 2009, students at Riverbank High School celebrated the grand opening of a Mobile Medical Unit, affectionately referred to as the MOM, with a press event featuring PLP students Monica Mendoza and Israel Hernandez as well as the District Superintendent and the Mayor of Riverbank.  This represented the culmination of two years of student-lead work, including presentations to City Council and the School Board, interviews with three federally authorized health centers, community outreach and student surveys. The hard work has resulted in a partnership with Golden Valley Health Centers to operate the MOM. The students aren’t stopping there, they are working now toward a permanent health center located on the campus that will be open to students, parents and community members. (Top)

2009

PLPSH youth have worked hard to promote awareness of school based health centers and school based health services through state advocacy.  In 2009 youth identified the following issues as priorities based on the sense of urgency youth feel on their own campuses, current opportunity for policy making, and changes we feel will improve access to school health services in the long term.  The 2009 priorities are:

• Adequate Staffing for School
• Health Education Services
• Access to School Based Health Centers

Click here to download the 2009 PLPSH Policy Priorities.

2010

This year youth’s policy priorities from the PLPSH and YWHLP were very closely aligned, so we decided to bring participants together to develop a policy priority statement that reflects both programs. This partnership strengthens the youth’s statewide advocacy efforts and reflects the youth voice of over 60 youth leaders. After careful consideration of issues impacting their communities, youth developed the 2010 PLPSH & YWHLP 2010 Policy Recommendations.  The youth ask that you add school health and woman’s health issues to the list of issues that decision makers and stakeholders prioritize. The specific priorities are:

• Mental Health Services: Access to mental health services in essential to ensuring safe and healthy youth. 
• Comprehensive Sexual Health Education: We believe that providing comprehensive, age appropriate sexual health education to all students is the most effective preventative measure to enable youth to make healthier choices in their lives.
• Teen Dating Violence Prevention: Women of all ages are disproportionately affected by violence and sexual assault.  Women aged 16 – 24 experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence.  Prevention programs save money in the long run, reducing the need for more serious interventions
• School Health Services: Access to school based health services ensures students have access to vital medical and mental health services.  This access reduces missed school days, ensures students are healthier and perform better in school.

Click here to download the 2010 PLPSH & YWHLP Policy Priorities.