Audio Stories - Youth Taking Action

In this episode, we talk to Chapi Alfaro, who works at the SPARK Peer Learning Center to empower youth and families in the state of Washington. She has been with the organization for just about 3 years. Her role at SPARK is to certify peer counselors in the state and educate those about BIPOC communities and how to work with peers whilst checking their biases. She is excited to be able to work alongside youth making changes in this country in the mental health field. Today, we will be talking to Chapi about Youth Engaging in Anti-Racism.

Today, we will be speaking with Shreyaa & Esha Venkat, who founded NEST4US, a non-profit philanthropic platform that mobilized volunteers worldwide to advance progress on societal issues to spark equitable solutions for the greater good by focusing on hunger, climate change, quality education, poverty, sustainability, women empowerment, and equity. On today’s episode, we will be talking with these 2021 Youth MOVE National Rockstar Organization of the Year awardees about Youth-Driven Organizational Development!

On this episode of Audio Stories - Youth Taking Action, we spoke with Tymber Hudson and Shayn MacDonald who are both Youth MOVE National staff, and Naikya Lynch, who is a former Youth MOVE Chang Initiative Fellow and author of Out of This World: A Guide to Implementing Grounded Youth Peer Support. On today’s episode, we will be looking back on the Youth MOVE Change Initiative program and discussing Creating Diverse & Inclusive Youth Programs for the Peer Workforce.

In this episode, we spoke with Jeremiah Aja, Maya Gomez, and Crystal Widado who are part of Mind Out Loud, the official student movement of the national nonprofit Wellness Together School Mental Health. Mind Out Loud (MOL) is a mental health advocacy program & free virtual event for students across the U.S. and beyond.

Jeremiah Aja is a therapist & Assistant Director with Wellness Together School Mental Health

Maya Gomez is a Northern California sophomore, second-year Mind Out Loud Student Rep, and youth mental health advocate with an interest in neuroscience, psychology, and literature.

Crystal Widado is a second-year Mind Out Loud Student Rep and high school student activist who uses journalism and public speaking to promote more awareness around teen mental health.

These Mind out Loud representatives are here today to talk about the student mental health movement and the topic of Youth-Driven Mental Health Advocacy & Engagement in Schools

In this episode, we speak with Felicity Krueger from rural Kentucky. Felicity is a youth advocate who has worked in youth mental health and rural communities and has extensive experience in sharing her voice on governing & advisory boards. Felicity is a member of the Youth MOVE National Youth Best Practice Committee and KY Youth MOVE Council and here is here today to talk about Youth Experiences on Governing & Advisory Boards.

In this episode, we speak with Nizhonie Denetsosie-Gomez from Preston Mesa, which is part of the Navajo Nation and is currently a freshman at Dartmouth College. Nizhonie is majoring in Native American and Indigenous Studies with a minor in education and is here to share her experiences as a Native American Youth Making Positive Change in Systems.