Access to Health Resources for Young People
We seek to empower young people with the knowledge, skills, and resources to make healthy decisions through providing in-person clinic tours of a local community health center for 9th-grade students.
Please describe the activation your organization seeks to launch.
In collaboration with our partner high schools and local community clinics, we aim to promote health equity through providing resources and access to health education. We will do this by conducting a series of in-person clinic tours with 9th-grade students throughout Los Angeles County to increase awareness of the available health resources in their community.
Which of the LIVE metrics will your activation impact?
Healthcare access
Will your proposal impact any other LA2050 goal categories?
LA is the best place to LEARN
LA is the best place to PLAY
In what areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
Central LA
East LA
San Fernando Valley
City of Los Angeles
How will your activation mobilize Angelenos?
In-person clinic tours
Describe in greater detail how your activation will make LA the best place to LIVE?
Our vision is that we, with our partners, will advance health equity and improve health outcomes for young people. By providing students with in-person health clinic tours at local community clinics, students will be able to familiarize themselves with the knowledge of health resources available in their communities. Young Angelenos will learn that by visiting a community health center, they can: get a free physical, free STI testing, free pregnancy test, free vaccines, receive counseling for drug and alcohol use, and speak to someone about mental health. These essential takeaways can help young people be prepared with the knowledge, skills, and resources to make healthy decisions, and lead healthier lives.
Studies show that young people navigate difficult decisions on a daily basis, many of which pose serious consequences to their health and well-being. In particular, young people in under-resourced communities are often faced with emotional distress and trauma without knowing how to seek help. Preventable health issues, such as mental illness or teen pregnancy contribute to the staggering reality that over one million high school students drop out of school each year. Together with local community clinics, we plan to increase health literacy and appropriate utilization of care by young people.
How will your activation engage Angelenos to make LA the best place to LIVE
Our clinic tours will help increase the knowledge for young Angelenos on where and how to access health resources in their communities, thus making LA a better place to live. Our focus is on 9th-grade students who attend Title 1 schools in South LA, East LA, and the San Fernando Valley. PHE works with high schools whose students are not receiving comprehensive health education and are disproportionately at risk for serious health risks.
Please explain how you will define and measure success for your activation.
We will define success by reaching many young people across Los Angeles, and informing them how to access health resources in their community. We will conduct surveys after the program to determine students’ gained knowledge of the clinic tour.
Where do you hope this activation or your organization will be in five years?
In five years we hope that the clinic tour work will reach many young people across Los Angeles and inspire students to know what kind of services their local community health center provides. We hope to advance health equity and improve health outcomes for young people across Los Angele County.