Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Addressing health challenges that youth face today calls for both education and changes to policies, systems, and environments. Youth advocacy is a potentially powerful tool to influence such changes, as well as a strategy that benefits youth skill development and well-being. A review of peer-delivered health interventions showed that teens can be effective leaders on health issues. Youth advocacy is important for several reasons. Adolescence is a time to nurture healthy habits and capitalize on young people’s energy, enthusiasm, and growing consciousness about impacting their world. Teens are concerned about their health, and often have ideas for addressing health issues; they see themselves as having a role to play in leading change. Youth advocacy is compatible with principles of positive youth development (e.g., relationships, leadership, contribution, and mastery). Youth voices can be powerful in influencing decision-makers. Young people can develop their capacity for advocacy through training, increasing their awareness and knowledge of issues, establishing youth-adult partnerships, and practicing advocacy skills. As the largest youth development program in the world, 4-H offers practical skill-building activities, meaningful leadership roles, and partnerships with caring adult volunteers. At least fifteen state-level 4-H programs have implemented youth-adult partnerships that provide teens opportunities to learn and practice health advocacy. Participants in the workshop will: a) recognize the theoretical basis for youth health advocacy, b) review findings from surveys of U.S. 4-H programs and provide examples of youth health advocacy experiences within those programs, and, c) engage in activities used to empower youth as health advocates.