Promote health in 100 teens in Portland, Oregon

There is usually one moment when a volunteer with MIKE realizes the impact they have with mentoring youth. For Alison, it was during her presentation on vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic. She volunteered this month to present on that topic when she saw the results of a student survey conducted by MIKE.

MIKE mentors coordinate lesson plans, presentations and activities based on the results of a student interest survey that asked youth what they were interested in learning and what careers they wanted to pursue. From those survey results, MIKE learned that students were most interested in mental health, skin care, COVID-19 and vaccines, and nutrition and physical fitness. Alison, who is working on her doctorate in pharmacy with Pacific University, was keen on helping youth understand viruses and how vaccines work in the human body.

She developed an engaging presentation to show how the body reacts to viruses and how our bodies respond to vaccines. Her presentation helped illustrate the processes of building immunity to clarify many of the misconceptions students had about vaccines. She and her fellow mentors then conducted discussions to provide the youth with opportunities to share their fears, concerns and questions.

“It simply starts with education on health, and education on access, and alternatives,” says Alison. “Lack of education and support in the health care realm is the first step toward addressing health issues.”

The students came prepared with lots of questions—from what’s in a vaccine, how are viruses contagious, to why do you get sick after a shot and how long will COVID last. Developing the presentation provided Alison with a unique opportunity to talk with youth, share information and support in better understanding about the pandemic, explore the impact it continues to have on health and the community, and how to distinguish viable information to make well-informed decisions.

The youth also discussed broader themes around health equity and how the pandemic effected some populations differently. The students listed lack of money, challenges with the health infrastructure and education as some of the factors perpetuating health disparities. The mentors helped guide the students toward potential solutions that they could use to advocate from themselves and their community to advance health equity.

MIKE is grateful for the support you and others provide so we can share information and resources with youth. By working with youth in the classroom, we are helping to build a more resilient generation toward healthier outcomes.

Links:

• MIKE Program website

Volunteer mentors are the core of MIKE Program’s health education programming. Mentoring is one of the most impactful ways to support and encourage students. So when the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) was announced by the Biden-Harris Administration this July, we were thrilled.

The NPSS was launched through the U.S. Department of Education with AmeriCorps to recruit 250,000 more mentors for students across America. The push is to utilize caring adults to “address students’ academic, emotional, social and mental health needs,” outlined by the Secretary of Education.

Some of MIKE’s recent mentors exemplify the standards set forth by the NPSS. Madeleine, who just completed her second year of medical school at Western University of Health Sciences, COMP-NW, has led a group of dedicated mentors at Sweet Home High School for the past two years. She and 13 other medical students served as mentors to work with high school students in the rural community in Oregon. Together, they guided the students through a series of lessons that provided them with a greater understanding of health issues, exploring a wide variety health careers and addressing mental health issues. Their near-to-peer approach benefited both the medical students who mentored, as well as the Sweet Home High School students with leadership skills, building positive relationships and supporting students through thoughtful conversations.

Madeleine’s dedication to mentoring Sweet Home High School students was recognized by the Office of the Surgeon General’s Public Health Service Commissioned Corps earlier this summer. She was awarded the U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award for 2022 as a “best practice in promoting the national Healthy People 2030 initiatives.”

MIKE recruits an exceptional group of volunteer mentors. Two recent mentors who have served the longest with MIKE are Jimmy and Madeleine. Recently, they got together with MIKE’s Programs Coordinator Linda to share their ideas and experiences. Both expressed how their experiences mentoring teens enhanced their skills in many ways. Not only did their mentoring experiences improve their communications skills in sharing health information to diverse priority populations, they also gained knowledge and skills in addressing complex health issues with adolescents.

Jimmy and Madeleine both mentored at De La Salle North Catholic High School, an urban private school serving low-income and a large diverse student population. Health Teacher Dave shared how MIKE mentors enhanced his students’ experiences and knowledge. He said his students expressed how participating in MIKE made a positive impact on their perceptions of health and wellness and announced those thoughts during their spirit week assembly before the entire school.

MIKE is dedicated to providing high quality mentored health education to high school students. Your support provides us with the vital funds to continue our work and support more students. Together, we can improve the lives of students.

Links:

• MIKE Program website