2025 'Be the Change' Youth Training Program
While the 2025 National School-Based Health Care Conference has been cancelled, we’re excited to announce that our ‘Be the Change’ Youth Training Program will still be happening—virtually!
The ‘Be the Change’ Youth Training Program is an event for passionate changemakers from across the country. This youth-focused and youth-led conference allows young people to connect face-to-face, exchange ideas, build lasting connections, and collectively drive positive changes in their schools and communities. Our 2025 ‘Be the Change’ Youth Training Program will leave attendees inspired and ready to take on the challenges of making a difference in school-based health care.
Why “The Future Starts With Us”?
“The Future Starts With Us” is a powerful theme for our 2025 ‘Be the Change’ Youth Training Program because it emphasizes the leadership, creativity, and impact that young people are having right now, not just in the future. Youth are not just preparing to lead, we are already shaping the world through our voices, actions, and ideas. This theme inspires participants to recognize their potential, take ownership of change, and collaborate to build a more just, healthy, and inclusive future, starting today.
Registration
Registration is now open! Please see the links below to register for our workshops. Please note, ‘Be the Change’ is an event for high school students. If you have any questions about registration or your eligibility to participate, please contact the event coordinator, Harper Byers, at hbyers@sbh4all.org.
Sessions
‘Be the Change’ Kickoff Event
- June 29, 3:30 – 4:30 pm ET
School-Based Health Alliance Youth Advisory Council
This welcome session, led by Youth Advisory Council members, includes introductions and explanations of the ‘Be the Change’ schedule, a fun activity, and a productive, engaging conversation about the importance of using our voices as a youth!
Health Policy and How It Affects You
- June 30, 11 – 12:15 am ET
Joey Kaji, Rikhil Ranjit, and Muntaha Rahman
As healthcare continues to be a pivotal topic, it is important for youth to understand the impact of current and future policies on school-based health centers. Healthcare reform requires a fundamental understanding of how particular policies influence health and treatment access. From funding to degree of care, legislative policies determine and affect many aspects of school-based health. School-based health centers rely on state and federal funding that may change depending on the allocations outlined in the annual budgets. This workshop will help define how both national and state policies have transformed in the past decade and their impact on school-based health centers and explore opportunities for youth to engage in policy research/advocacy (i.e. kickstarting grassroots lobbying efforts). Because youth are at the center of school-based health, it is imperative to involve them directly in policy translation and development efforts to ensure that future policies effectively address their healthcare needs and priorities.
Medical Technology and School-Based Health Centers
- June 30, 1:00 – 2:15 pm ET
Nikhil Reddy, Ketan Tamirisa, Justin Wang
School-based health centers (SBHCs) play a critical role in bridging healthcare gaps for students, particularly in underserved and rural areas. Recent advancements in medical technology, including telemedicine platforms, portable diagnostic tools, AI-driven diagnostics, and mobile health applications, are revolutionizing how SBHCs nationwide deliver care. Despite these advancements, challenges such as technological disparities, data security concerns, and resource limitations persist. This youth-led session will explore how these technological innovations are enhancing youth health outcomes by increasing access and improving early-intervention care while catalyzing SBHCs to operate more effectively.
Poster Session
- June 30, 4 – 4:45 pm ET
School-Based Health Alliance Youth Advisory Council
Join us for an engaging poster session showcasing innovative projects and research by our participants. Explore a variety of topics, connect with presenters, and cast your vote for your favorite poster. The entry with the most votes will receive an award. Don’t miss this chance to be inspired by youth around the nation!
My Drug Story. What’s Yours? – The Sequel!
- July 1, 11 – 12:15 am ET
Dr. Marcia Zorrilla DrPH, MPH, Brenda Rodas, Sarah Bagheri, Ketan Tamirisa
Everyone has a story to tell about substance use and its impact, especially on youth. The Stanford REACH Lab Youth Action Board (YAB) will be sharing their stories and will invite the audience to share as well. In small groups, the audience will use Forum Theatre techniques, acting out skits based on these shared stories to envision and create the changes they want to see. Created by Augusto Boal, Forum Theatre is a participatory form of theatre that engages the audience in examining the oppressions seen and discussing the possibilities of “rehearsing” options to change the outcome of the theatre piece. If you’re curious in “trying out” your ideas, starting a dialogue, and creating change in a fun and interactive way, please join our workshop!
PATCH Peer-to-peer: Learn to get the healthcare you deserve
- July 1, 1:00 – 2:15 pm ET
Maria Sandoval and PATCH youth presenters
The Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) Program is an innovative, youth-driven program working to ensure all young people receive high-quality, youth-friendly services in their community. The Denver Health SBHC program is in its third year replicating the PATCH Teen Educator Program, an evidence-based program originating in Wisconsin. Each PATCH Site has a site coordinator, a teen educator team, a community support team, and local enrichment experts. The site coordinator guides the teen educator team through a 9-month program in which they meet bi-monthly for enrichment meetings to learn and grow in their critical understanding of complex adolescent health topics. In addition to attending enrichment meetings, the job of the teen educator team is to facilitate the PATCH for Providers and PATCH for Teens: Peer-to-Peer Workshops within their local community. The PATCH for Teens: Peer-to-Peer Workshop empowers young people to begin managing their own health care, and equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate and advocate for youth-friendly services.
Empowering Teens: Addressing Drug Use
- July 1, 2:30 – 3:45 pm ET
Amiriss Lopez, Vivian Wiseman, Apolonia Cordova, and Lucy Chesney
Teen drug and alcohol use is a big problem for schools, families, and communities. It can hurt grades, mental health, and how teens feel overall. School-based health centers are in a great spot to help by focusing on prevention, early help, and support right at school. This workshop will talk about new and proven ways to deal with teen drug use. Students will learn about the latest research, like what puts teens at risk, what protects them, and how drug use affects their growth and development. It will also focus on strategies that respect different cultures and help teens who’ve been through tough times.
Through fun group talks, real-life examples, and games with gift cards, participants will pick up useful tips on how schools, health centers, and communities can work together to help teens. They’ll learn how to check in with students, talk with them about drug use, and involve their families in the process.
By the end, everyone will leave with ideas to lower teen substance use and create supportive environments that help teens make better choices.
‘Be the Change’ Wrap Up Session
- July 1, 4:00 – 5:00 pm ET
School-Based Health Alliance Youth Advisory Council
Young people are essential advocates for SBHCs nationwide, with the power to shape programs, policy, and outreach activities that affect the health of students. Join the SBHA Youth Advisory Council members as they share their leadership stories, give feedback on ‘Be the Change,’ and make plans for future networking.