Today, youth activism is impacting meaningful social, political and environmental change and commonwealth teens are joining in on this powerful work. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included Y Street, Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth’s (VFHY) youth engagement program, in a guide of initiatives across the country demonstrating best practices for tobacco prevention and control.

In mid-March, Healthy Suffolk staff became concerned that the coronavirus was going to have a serious impact on program delivery. Their planned gardening program model had included working with children and their families in group settings at their teaching/demonstration garden at the East Suffolk Recreation Center.