Improving Health Equity Among Today’s Youth

Learning Objectives

As COVID-19 continues to ravage the nation, we continue to see a rise in health disparities in our marginalized populations, especially in young people.  We must strive to create more effective strategies for increasing health equity, especially in younger populations. 

In this one-hour virtual event, you will:

• Hear from youth about what health disparities they’re seeing in their local communities.
• Learn new strategies for engaging youth and supporting their vision for a more equitable and healthier community.
• Understand strategies to center equality and youth voice to improve health outcomes

Panelists

Jeanette Abi-Nader
Cultivate Charlottesville (HCAT)

Sydney Carr – Moderator
High School Student in Woodbridge VA
Sydney Carr, a high school senior in Prince William County, is one of Y Street’s dynamic Leadership Team members who work towards achieving the program’s overarching goal of creating a healthier Virginia. She is passionate about promoting health equity as she believes that healthcare should be available to everyone regardless of their economic status.

Alyia Gaskins
Founder and CEO at CitiesRX, LLC
A public health strategist and urban planner, Alyia Gaskins is committed to helping communities create places that promote the physical, social, and economic health of people. It’s a passion inspired by her mother, who despite working two jobs struggled to make ends meet and the financial strain forced difficult trade-offs between food, rent and medication, negatively impacting her mom’s asthma and diabetes. Known for her thought-provoking insights, Alyia is sought after for her experience helping cities create innovative models of cross-sector partnerships to breakdown the systems that make it hard for people to be healthy.

Ariel Guerrero
O & G Racial Equity Collaborative
Ariel’s work has been grounded in over 14 years of experience in the government, non-profit, political and philanthropic space with organizations such as the National League of Cities (NLC) Lutheran Services in America (LSA), the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), the National Housing Partnership (NHP) Foundation, political campaigns and the New York City Department of Education. Ariel prides himself as a local government guy with strong roots in advocacy, organizing and community mobilization whose work centers at the intersections of policy and practice within government and community to train and support local leaders on how to apply, implement and practice racial equity in their community. Ariel is a husband, father to be, diehard New York Mets fan, salsa dancing fanatic, foodie and avid movie goer!

C.J. Stermer – Host
Sr Dir of Education at Rescue Agency
C.J. is a community advocate who develops programs to share knowledge within our field and inspire public health organizations to increase access to healthy behaviors for all communities.