Igniting curiosity, knowledge and action in behavioral health was the theme of the day recently, as the inaugural SPARK event was held at the Government Center. SPARK is a new event for high school students participating in Public Health Youth Ambassador Program (PHYAP) sponsored by the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD). PHYAP students from Mount Vernon and Justice high schools took part in an interactive day focused on behavioral health and disability development programming and career exploration. The event is the culmination of a collaboration between the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) and the Health Department.
"The unique cross-agency partnership between FCHD and the CSB is designed to support PHYAP student development by providing them with direct access to behavioral health and developmental disability professionals, customized learning experiences, and internship/job opportunities," said Scott Folks, Program Manager for the Youth Ambassador program. " Each goal was personified through SPARK, where simulations and dialogues led by CSB subject-matter experts provided our PHYAP students with critical insights that will assist their secondary school and career aspirations."
The day began in a general session, with some energy-raising activities, hosted by LaVurne Williams, the CSB's Youth and Family Director, and PHYAP's Instructor Supervisor, Blaythe Ayala. Fairfax County's Director of Health, Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu spoke to the group, encouraging the students to make the most of these opportunities to understand ways they may make a meaningful difference in their communities and their families. Jean Post, CSB's Deputy Director of Administrative Operations, spoke of the importance of their work in the community, and invited the students to ask deep questions of the staff and volunteers they would meet during the day. She urged them to take full advantage of this chance to explore these possible career options.
The rest of the morning was spent in breakout sessions. In one session focused on Inspiration and Wellness, students engaged in creative, hands-on activities designed for self-reflection, including creating vision boards and gratitude activities. In another room called the Human Library, students had the chance to hear real-world stories, ask questions, and gain career insights with CSB staff members across several departments, including crisis intervention, clinical programs, peer recovery, prevention, and emergency and crisis services. But the biggest "learning through experiencing" took place in the Impairment & Prevention Simulation room. Here CSB staff had the students engage in a number of different activities while wearing special virtual reality goggles that simulate negative effects from students being under the influence of illegal drugs and alcohol. By showcasing these impacts in a controlled environment, CSB staff members hope to demonstrate how even casual use can have cascading impacts.
After a box lunch, the SPARK event ended with a general session recapping the learning objectives, opportunities for continued exploration around behavioral health, and a spirited music and glow-stick send-off symbolizing the day’s theme. As students boarded the busses back to their home schools, several were heard to comment on how cool it was to talk directly to people who work full-time in the field, and to hear how the work impacts and inspires the staff to do it.
The Public Health Youth Ambassadors Program is open to Fairfax County students in grades 10 through 12. Applications will open in August for the next student cohort for the fall semester of 2026.
