Local Teens Explore Public Health to Create Healthier Communities

Author: Public Health
Date: 9/19/2025 1:19 PM

A summer pilot program introduced local youth to public health and explored how they can make a meaningful impact in their community.

This summer, the County of SLO Public Health Department Health Equity team launched a five-week pilot program designed to introduce local youth to the wide range of career paths in public health, highlight opportunities at the County, and explore how they can make a meaningful impact in their own communities. The vision was simple: to help young people see themselves in public health, bring their lived experiences to the table, and diversify and strengthen the field with more perspectives and ideas.

The program partnered with the Paso Robles Housing Authority's YouthWorks program, a free year-round initiative that teaches leadership and job skills through hands-on, paid work experience. Serving youth from across North County, YouthWorks helps create changemakers and community leadership. Students in the program were the ideal audience for this introductory public health series.

Twelve participants from 8^th to 12^thgrade spent five one-hour sessions learning about the social determinants of health-the non-medical and environmental factors that influence a person's health-and explored the many ways public health impacts daily life: environmental safety, health promotion, emergency preparedness, maternal health, and more. They met public health professionals and heard about the different paths into this work-some have college degrees, some are introduced through volunteering, and others work directly with the community.

The series culminated in a Photovoice Project, where each student identified, researched, gathered data, and proposed a solution to a public health issue they cared about. Through photography, statistics, and personal stories, they presented challenges such as housing insecurity, financial vulnerability, substance abuse, and the lack of safe public spaces-alongside creative ideas for change.

"The students really enjoyed all the parts of [the pilot program]," said Betian Webb, Director of Community Services at Paso Robles Housing Authority and supervisor of the YouthWorks program. "I appreciated the involvement/participation of so many public health employees… I think the entire experience was a huge success."

One participant-local high school student, Jeremiah-wrote when reflecting on their experience, "You inspire me to explore public health in the future, I believe you do great work for our community and you're a great example to me and others."

Survey results showed that participants gained a deep understanding of public health through the program. The rate of participants reporting they had at least some understanding of public health at the start more than doubled by the end of the program, and their ability to explain how Social Determinants of Health affect their community tripled. 80% of participants expressed interest in pursuing a career related to public health, compared to 38% at the start of the program. More participants felt confident taking action regarding public health issues in their community, with those feeling 'very or somewhat confident' rising from 50% to 70%.

Each student was presented with a certificate to celebrate their completion of the program and recognize them as Public Health Youth Scholars.

"We are glad the surveys showed students were engaged and learning," said Nina Lewis, Health Equity Fellow and facilitator of the program. "It confirmed our hopes that by providing youth with the knowledge, tools, and encouragement, they would start to envision themselves as future public health leaders-ones who reflect the diversity and lived experiences of the communities they serve."