Build Healthy Futures: Support Health in Schools

Thank you for your support of school-based health care! Because of you, we’re more than halfway to meeting our goal of $20,000 dollars. Your support is critical as we continue to move forward with our youth engagement work and advocate for school-based health care on Capitol Hill. We are thrilled to share with you our latest update and again thank you for your support.

Youth Track – Empowering Tomorrows Leaders

At our 2012 Convention held in New Mexico this past June, more than 50 Youth Track participants learned about the skills necessary to advocate for school-based health care. The engaged group of high school students, from across the country, talked about the importance of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in their communities, about SBHCs as a form of social justice, and visited the SBHC at the Laguna Pueblo. Follow this link for pictures of the Youth Track’s three days in Albuquerque.

NASBHC Launches National Youth Advisory Council

We are excited to announce the launch of NASBHC’s new National Youth Advisory Council (YAC). Youth – ages 15-21 who have used a SBHC or worked to address health care issues that affect young people – are eligible to apply for a two-year position on the council. As a SBHC advocate, you are encouraged to support students to submit an application by September 14^th. For more information, review the NASBHC YAC Overview.

This is just the beginning of an exciting campaign to increase youth engagement in our work. With your support we will continue to help empower youth and to encourage them to become active participants in their health and education.

School-Based Health Care Leaders to Meet in Washington, DC

Leaders from NASBHC’s eighteen state affiliates will convene in Washington, DC this November to continue to develop a sustainability strategy for SBHCs. They will also strategize about ways to strengthen our national and state advocacy efforts and will meet with members of Congress on Capitol Hill. Your donations allow us to bring these advocates to our nation’s capital to share their stories about the unique challenges SBHCs face in their communities.

New Staff

We’re pleased to welcome two new staff members since our last Global Giving update: Hayley Lofink, Director of Research and Evaluation and Joanna Kuebler, Communications Director.

Hayley Lofink is a researcher in the field of Medical/Nutritional Anthropology and has designed, implemented and published research examining nutrition-related health inequalities and disparities. Her projects have examined how economic pressures, cultural contexts, physical environments and public policies influence nutritional and physical health among African American children in Philadelphia, children of Mexican migrant workers in New Jersey and British Bangladeshi adolescents in London. Her recent work has explored ways to improve access to obesity prevention and child weight management programs among children from low-income families through community-based approaches. She has a doctoral degree from the University of Oxford and undergraduate and Master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Joanna Kuebler has served in senior communications roles in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S Senate, as well as at the state government level in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She served as communications director for United States Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) for six years, including directing the communications operation for Senator Brown’s successful 2006 campaign for U.S. Senate. Prior to joining NASBHC, Joanna served as director of the Global Campaign for Education, U.S., a coalition of more than 30 non-profits, NGOs, faith-based groups, and unions dedication to ensuring access to education for all. Joanna has worked closely with TV, print, and radio media successfully crafting and placing stories and opinion pieces with The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today as well as on CNN, MSNBC, and 60 Minutes and has led the development of national and international online media and grassroots communications plans.

Links

• NASBHC’s Website
• NASBHC’s Youth Engagement Page
• NASBHC’s Staff Directory
• NASBHC’s State Affiliates