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Fairfax County Health Department’s Public Health Youth Ambassador Program (PHYAP) is a FREE program that trains local students in critical areas such as community health work, opioid reduction methodologies, and teen mental health assistance.
Expanding PHYAP OpportunitiesPHYAP has, previously, only been available to students during the Daytime at select FCPS high schools.
However, with the advent of our NEW Evening and Weekend courses (launching in October 2024) there will be multiple platforms and curriculums through which participants can jumpstart their secondary school and career engagement in the community health field. This means PHYAP’s offerings will, soon, be within reach of all eligible 10th through 12th grade students who live in Fairfax County.
The program’s overall focus is to increase student interest in healthcare-related activities, while broadening the spectrum of professionals working throughout the industry. Each grassroots measure is a catalyst towards meeting our Health Department goal to build generational health across the entire Fairfax region.
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Cultivating the Next Generation of Public Health WorkersThrough its diverse curriculums, the PHYAP education program trains local students in critical areas such as community health work, opioid reduction methodologies, and teen mental health. Depending on the nature of their study track and level of involvement, students can enjoy a range of healthcare-related outcomes that include:
*Laptop applies only to CHW and Mental Health students.
The Public Health Youth Ambassador Program training encompasses school, community and home:
High School and Young Adult Community Health Worker Curriculum
The High School and Young Adult Community Health Worker Curriculum equips students with the knowledge to become “health ambassadors” within their communities. Students will be trained in Community Health Worker competencies with a focus on health education, mental health education, resource navigation, infection prevention and control around vulnerable populations. The curriculum also highlights pathways to adjacent careers in healthcare that include becoming a health technician; therapist; nurse practitioner; physician; and a host of other related roles.
High School and Young Adult Opioid Reduction Training Program
The High School and Young Adult Opioid Reduction Training Program strives to educate high school students and young adults about the dangers of opioid misuse. This program is designed to increase student understanding regarding the risks associated with prescription pill misuse, while reducing the stigma associated with addiction. Curriculum learnings in this program also focus on sound mental health and the pivotal role it plays in alleviating addictive tendencies.
Young Adult Mental Health Worker Program
The Young Adult Mental Health Worker Training Program aligns three key components that foster sound mental health and well-being among youth populations: mental health literacy training, community-based mental health interventions, and targeted engagement through mental health screening and lesson reinforcement. Students also learn strategies for handling mental health emergencies, while working with one another on developing ideas for community-based mental health initiatives.
In order to graduate from PHYAP’s Mental Health and Community Health Worker programs, students are required to complete an Ambassador Community Health Project. Each student is asked to select a health issue that is relevant to them, while creating an actionable plan on how to best address it. Project examples from previous cohorts include a student holding regular health fairs at her school, while another student collaborated with a local community center in providing healthy snacks for kids after school.
| Criteria by Cohort | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Economically disadvantaged | Qualified for free/reduced lunch, SNAP, Medicaid, TANF |
| Students with disabilities | Covered under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act |
| English language learners |
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Least likely to participate in post-secondary education |
Represent populations with higher:
Represent populations less likely to:
|
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Underrepresented in community health careers (public health, healthcare) |
|
| Represent community members most impacted by poor health outcomes |
|
Students
1 Salsberg E, Richwine C, Westergaard S, et al. Estimation and Comparison of Current and Future Racial/Ethnic Representation in the US Health Care Workforce. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(3):e213789. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.3789
2 https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/ahrf
3 https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/PublicResources/HealthcareWorkforceDataCenter/Dashboards/
Program, Networking Opportunities, College & Career Readiness, Public Health Projects & Apprenticeship opportunities, Continued Participant Engagement, and Capacity Building & Program Evaluation.
The Public Health Youth Ambassador Program mentorship component is a virtual and in-person afterschool program designed to attract high school students into pursuing careers in Health Sciences/Public Health. Its goal is to decrease health disparities in under-resourced communities by providing youth in those communities with sustained professional connections, networks, and mentoring relationships as students navigate the rigors of their high school and post-secondary pursuits.
Youth Ambassador program graduates Nayla Bonilla and Yalda Jiminez continue to plan, promote, and deliver public health resources and information to their community. On Saturday, October 28, they coordinated a health information and resource fair at Justice High School, where the two students are now in their senior year.
Residents, families, and student volunteers filled the Justice HS cafeteria, hallways and auxiliary gym. Community health resources showed up, too, providing health screenings, healthy food resources and up-to-date health information from more than a dozen partners. The event was a culmination of almost a year of hard work and planning.
“At first, as we tried to reach out to organizations and ask them to be involved, many people did not take us seriously, said Yalda. “They ghosted us.”
But, the determined duo did not give up. With support and motivation from Youth Ambassador sponsors and staff, they continued with phone calls, emails and outreach to make their vision become a reality. Yalda, who plans to be a nurse one day, expressed that the goal of the event was to bring health resources to people who may not be aware of them and educate the community about health.
Nayla agreed as said, “This was our passion project. To see individuals from our community engage in one-on-one discussions with health professionals and to provide them with a real opportunity to ask questions has been amazing. We are witnessing health literacy in action as we watch families take charge of their own health.”
Nayla is hoping to host another health event in 2024 and is working on starting plans now. Before she graduates, she also plans to launch a student public health club that will focus on advocacy. “These group discussions can change lives; I’ve seen it.”
On June 10th, 2023, Fairfax County Health Department concluded its pilot of the Public Health Youth Ambassador program with Edu-Futuro, graduating 84 students from the program. Participants created varied health awareness projects and many were inspired to encourage healthier decisions for their families, communities and for themselves.
While many teens were on the beach or traveling with family and friends this summer, the Public Health Youth Ambassador graduates were making flyers, hosting meetings, learning about federal nutrition aid programs and working with the Fairfax County Farmer’s Market to help decrease food insecurity in their communities.
Food insecurity was a favored health awareness topic that became the focus for many students. “During our class discussions, students mentioned that they did not always make healthy eating decisions and that they did not know where to purchase inexpensive healthy food,” said Andrea Scott, Program Manager. “Throughout the summer, Public Health Youth Ambassador alumni have been volunteering at multiple farmer’s market locations so that they all can work directly in the community and inform them about inexpensive health food options. It is important that our youth understand that they are never too little nor too young, to make a big change in the world. It is also a great feeling knowing that our youth can reach out to staff at the Health Department for help, and then share their knowledge with their communities.”
As part of the Student Interest application, students will be required to answer the following two essay questions:
NOTE: This form must be completed in one sitting; applicants will not be able to save their progress and return later.
Students are encouraged to prepare their responses to these essay questions before starting the application.
For further assistance with completing the application, please see the video guides below.
For students:
For parents:
Am I eligible to participate in the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program?
What high schools are participating in the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program?
When/Where is the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program offered?
How long is the program?
Can I participate if I have another commitment such as attending classes at the academy during the advisory period?
Does everyone receive the same gift package for successfully completing their Daytime and Evening & Weekend course studies and testing?
Every Daytime and Evening & Weekend student who enrolls in the program will receive their Morehouse School of Medicine and George Mason School of Public Health certificates, along with a $500 gift card. However, based on the curriculum length and relative needs of the program, only CHW and Mental Health students are eligible to receive medical equipment and the laptop. Lastly, PHYAP students who, previously, enrolled in our CHW program (and graduated) are not eligible to receive a second laptop; however, they will receive the $500 gift card and certificates of completion for successfully finishing their Opioid and Mental Health studies.
This project initiative is supported by the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $3,875,000 with 100% funded by the Office of the Secretary/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the Office of the Secretary/OASH/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit www.hhs.gov/ash.
