Applications are now open for the Spring 2026 cohort of the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program (PHYAP), offering high school age students across Fairfax County a flexible and meaningful way to build real-world skills and connections in health care and community health.
The program’s Evening and Weekend option, held at the Fairfax County Government Center, is open to all 10th–12th grade students who live in Fairfax County—whether they attend public, private, faith-based, or home schools. This flexible schedule is ideal for teens with full daytime calendars, extracurricular activities, or part-time jobs, and gives families multiple ways to make the program work. Evening sessions run Monday through Thursday, and a weekend class meets each Saturday morning. Students can choose between two hands-on tracks: the High School & Young Adult Opioid Reduction Training Program or the Young Adult Mental Health Worker Program. Both options help students develop practical skills they can use right away in their schools and communities while strengthening college and career readiness.
PHYAP also continues to offer daytime programs through its long-standing partnerships with John R. Lewis High School, Justice High School, and Mount Vernon High School. At these schools, eligible students participate in Community Health Worker training during their advisory periods three days a week, gaining experience through lessons and hands-on activities led by trained facilitators.
Students in both programs also earn certifications from the Morehouse School of Medicine and George Mason University’s School of Public Health. These nationally recognized institutions guide the curriculum, helping to ensure that students receive high-quality training grounded in real public health needs.
Becoming a Public Health Youth Ambassador gives students far more than classroom knowledge. PHYAP offers a chance to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and explore real career pathways in a growing field. Teens walk away with nationally recognized certifications, hands-on experience that stands out on college and scholarship applications, and a deeper understanding of issues that directly affect their friends, families, and communities.
Applications for the Spring 2026 cohort are now open, and space is limited. Interested students are encouraged to apply early to increase the chances of being selected. The application deadline is Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.
Follow the link to learn more about the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program, including how to submit an application.