What is Youth and Young Adult-Driven Programming?
At North Carolina Healthy Transitions, our main focus is ensuring that the program is tailored to the specific needs of the participants that we serve, and there is simply no way that we can do that without actually engaging young people in our communities. We emphasize the importance of listening to and valuing the voices of our transition-aged youths and young adults. After all, young people are the experts in their experiences, and their perspectives are essential as we design a program that addresses their needs!
The NC Healthy Transitions’ Youth Advisory Council is made up of only individuals between the ages of 16-25 that are passionate about creating change around mental health and support services for youth and young adults.
Some examples are:
- Hosted a food drive at AB-Tech for students struggling with food insecurity
- Created and reviewed social media posts, billboards, and radio ads for mental health awareness campaigns
- Planned community events such as craft nights, volunteering at community gardens, LGBTQ+ groups, and more
- Reviewed training materials for mental health professionals working with transition-aged youth
If you are interested in getting involved in our youth advisory council, please email healthytransitions@childrenshopealliance.org for more information.