Webinar Description
Since 2010, PATCH has worked alongside youth to improve the health and wellbeing of their generation through innovative, youth-driven programs that foster leadership, advocacy, health literacy, and community impact. We believe young people are the experts on their own lives and work to ensure their voices shape the programs, policies, and initiatives that affect them while also building the skills necessary for youth to thrive into adulthood.
In this webinar, attendees will learn best practices in youth engagement from PATCH staff & youth. We will focus on proven methods for youth-driven programming and to form meaningful youth-adult partnerships. We’ll help adults develop confidence to work directly with young people and support youth participants in their own health literacy journey.
Objectives:
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Identify proven youth engagement strategies in the field of adolescent health.
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Explore ways to utilize programming to enhance the health literacy of teens.
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Develop confidence in forming successful youth-adult partnerships.
Speakers:
Erica Koepsel, MA, Director of Youth Engagement, PATCH
Erica had dedicated her time to improving adolescent health & wellbeing since she was 19, when she began working as a sexual health educator. In 2015, Erica finished her Master of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where her research focused on holistic, life-long approaches to sexual health education. During this time, she also worked closely with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin on curriculum development and redesign. She joined PATCH in 2015, bringing these various skills in education, curriculum development, and quality improvement to her role Coordinating the PATCH Madison Teen Educator Program. Since then, Erica has helped in the effort to expand PATCH and in her current role as Director of Youth Engagement, she regularly works alongside youth to ensure they have a quality experience in PATCH’s youth programming and coaches other adults nationwide on best practices for youth engagement.
Zion, Teen Educator/Special Projects Youth Partner, PATCH
Zion started working with PATCH as a sophomore in high school but has been eagerly involved in making the world better through the healthcare system for years. In her previous position as a PATCH Teen Educator, Zion worked with a group of other youth to speak about the needs and concerns of young people. Together, they used storytelling and guided discussion to share their own perspectives about adolescent health care and to advocate for changes within health care systems that would ensure access to high-quality, youth-friendly health care for all young people. She also worked to empower other youth to raise their voices and ask for what they need to get the health care they deserve. Through this work, she hopes she is able to break down the stigma associated with many health issues so that we can better discuss challenging topics openly and honestly. Zion is now using the skills she developed as a Teen Educator to partner directly with PATCH Staff on special projects related to youth engagement, and to represent PATCH across the country. In addition to PATCH, Zion is also actively involved in rugby, her school’s service club, and SMART Team.
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