Youth inspiring a healthier future

Mendez High School students at the KLCS studio.

The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health collaborated with Kaiser Permanente and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to launch a media campaign aimed at raising awareness about the importance of the Medi-Cal renewal process. 

Uninterrupted healthcare requires continual education and awareness, especially for programs that serve as safety nets for marginalized communities. One such program is Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, which provides health coverage to millions of low-income residents. To maintain these benefits, individuals are periodically required to undergo Medi-Cal redetermination or renewal to confirm their ongoing eligibility for the program. During Covid-19, Medi-Cal was automatically renewed; however, this year the responsibility is once again back on the individual to renew their coverage. 

This annual redetermination is how Medi-Cal ensures that those receiving benefits still meet the eligibility criteria based on income, family size, and other factors. Neglecting the redetermination can lead to a loss of coverage, potentially leaving individuals and families without access to vital healthcare services. 

(from left:) Axel Berganza, Samantha Hernandez, Nathalie Galvan, Jonathan Hernandez

To ensure this important message resonated with our audience, The L.A. Trust called on Student Advisory Board members (peer-to-peer educators) from Mendez High School to help in crafting the materials. By empowering these students to take the reins—creating social media posts, flyers, a public service announcement (PSA), and a comprehensive toolkit—the campaign was given an authentic voice that aims for a greater reach and impact. 

The campaign project saw students embrace various roles—some wrote scripts for the PSA while some stepped in front of the camera to bring those words to life. Students channeled their creativity into designing flyers and generating captivating content, and other students curated the social media presence essential for today’s outreach efforts. The students also put their language skills to use by crafting all materials in English and Spanish, ensuring the message appealed to a wider audience. 

With multiple touchpoints across multiple channels, the campaign’s English-language PSA, now airing on KLCS TV, adds a broadcast dimension to the awareness efforts. It is a true testament to the power of community engagement and the positive force that arises when youth step forward as ambassadors of public health information. 

The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health continues to prove that a collaborative spirit—combined with the impassioned voices of informed youth—is an unstoppable force in the crusade for public health advancement. Through campaigns like the Medi-Cal redetermination awareness initiative, students highlight the essential truth that health education is most powerful when it engages the heart of the community.