The L.A. Trust updates Youth Advisor program with student input

The youth advisors providing useful insights with the L.A. Trust advocacy team.

The L.A. Trust’s Youth Advisor Program was started in 2019 as a way to provide students with a voice and pathway to impact healthy policy decisions for their communities and beyond.

Youth Advisors were asked to join the School Health Policy Roundtable, a collaborative initiative that brings together healthcare and education leaders to help shape policies impacting student wellness. This model worked well, but both the Youth Advisors and The L.A. Trust were looking for ways to deepen the involvement and contribution of the Youth Advisors.

Program participants wanted more input on how health policies are implemented on the ground and The L.A. Trust took action. Earlier this year, The L.A. Trust recruited three young people with an array of youth leadership experience to act as consultants in redesigning key aspects of the Youth Advisor program such as training and leadership development, adult mentorship, and how young people participate in the collaborative. This collaboration led to an independent model for the program that allows student participants to tackle meaningful projects while providing them with foundational advocacy skills and building their understanding of school-based health.  

A new cohort of Youth Advisors has already begun where 5 participants are learning about school-based health to ground their own advocacy work in this sector. Youth Advisors are learning about new provider positions including Wellness Coaches and Peer Support Specialists aimed at improving youth mental health by expanding the type of care young people can receive. Youth Advisors will explore how schools are taking advantage of these emerging changes in school-based health and their initial impact on student well-being.

Recognizing that the well-being of students is paramount to achieving success, young people are uniquely positioned to provide insight into how traditionally adult spaces can be inclusive of youth voice and participation. The L.A. Trust is excited about the Youth Advisors Program progressing and looks forward to working with them in shaping policies that positively impact the future.