It’s time to get to know some former and current members of the Youth Advisory Board, a group of young people ages 13-18 that advises Peer Health Exchange on how to get reliable, factual, and relevant health information out to youth. We chatted with Varnika Kharkwal, who is currently a Community Youth Advocate member of the Youth Design group and Brand Ambassador, along with Treasure Joiner, a former Youth Design group member during the beginning stages of selfsea’s development.
What is your favorite thing about being part of the Youth Advisory Board?
Varnika:
“My favorite thing about the Youth Advisory Board is the insightful workshops, where guest speakers show us new perspectives on various topics, share interesting personal stories with us, and open us up to new opportunities. One of my most memorable ones was with America Forward, since I really resonated with their vision and loved how they involve youth in policy work. However, these workshops are equally tied for favorite with the yearly Community Youth Advocates projects, that were a great learning experience and helped me build better connections and better understand other young people around me.”
Treasure:
“I think one of my favorite things was having the opportunity to work with other passionate youth and to bounce ideas off of each other. It was really a beautiful process to start off with, not that we started off with nothing, but very few ideas and then all of a sudden it became a whole platform. That was the first time that I was involved in something like that, especially being in high school, not having that much - opportunities like that in general.
And I also really appreciated centering our voices. The idea of co-collaboration was very new, and I feel like, as youth, we're not always trusted with big responsibilities like that or really seen as fully capable of really big things like that. So, I really appreciated that opportunity when I was younger.”
What has been your favorite feature about selfsea?
Varnika:
“My favorite feature about selfsea is how you can find personal stories that people record over various topics. This helps us as young people feel like we're not alone and going through something, and that there are people there to support us and understand what we're going through.”
Treasure:
“I really love that everything, like all the topics, all the different features, are tailored to the specific needs and specific identities of youth. And there is such a huge, vast collection of topics, things that you wouldn't even think of. And I really like that there's something on there for everyone, and in everything that they might be struggling with or might need support in. I also like that the platform, and the community in general, doesn't shy away from taboo topics or just some of the most controversial issues that are going on in this world, because obviously, when it comes to politics or different systems of oppression, those have real consequences for youth and for everyone in general.”
What is your vision for selfsea?
Varnika:
“My vision for selfsea is for it to be a site that young people across our nation access on a regular routine basis so that we, as teens are able to use the tools and resources available to us easily, and so that we know there's a healthy digital community that is ready to support us, our needs, and our mental and physical well-being journey.”
Treasure:
“I hope that this community on selfsea continues to grow even larger and it becomes more of a go-to resource, especially in schools, different community centers, like youth spaces. I honestly hope it becomes a resource that's passed down. I know it's only been a couple of years since it started, but people in my age group, we’re gonna phase into adulthood. So, I hope as they get older, it becomes passed down.”
How has Peer Health Exchange impacted or inspired you in your work?
Varnika:
“Peer Health Exchange has impacted me by teaching me not just to confidently express my own opinions, but to also be open to hearing what others have to say and trying to understand their point of view. I've been inspired by PHE since they've shown me the power that young people's voices and ideas have, which has led me to actively work towards topics that I passionately care about. PHE definitely leads by example and has built such a positive community for me that, even though I've never met the members in person, I feel connected to them and know that they will support me through thick and thin, and the supporting nature of theirs inspires me to also extend support to the people around me.”
Treasure:
“I feel like back when I was a senior in high school, I didn't really know how much of an impact my involvement with Peer Health Exchange would have on me long term. But obviously, my work with y’all is relevant to everything that I do in public health and even within maternal and child health and even sexual reproductive health. There are a lot of intersections between all of those fields. I feel like, in general, being involved made me more of an outspoken person, especially being in high school, I didn't have many opportunities like that.
And it made me become more of an advocate for social justice and for marginalized groups in general. So, I'm very thankful for that, because in college, I did push myself to join more clubs and organizations aligned with my values of social justice, but also public health. So, I feel like my involvement in Peer Health Exchange was like foreshadowing everything that I would get into and everything that I aspire to do in the future within public health.”
Why is the work that Peer Health Exchange does so important to youth?
Varnika:
“The work PHE does is so important to youth because it shows us that our voices, opinions, ideas, and beliefs all matter and can make a positive difference in our communities. The organization empowers us to live a lifestyle healthy for our mental and physical welfare by providing us with guidance, support and resources to give us the help we need and make us feel like we are not alone because a community is there to back us up and understand what we're going through. I especially feel that in the Youth Advisory Board. I feel a lot of that. The facilitators, we can always talk to them about things that are going on with us, and they're so understanding, as well as our peers. So, I just love this community, and I believe that this type of community is so important for every youth to have in their life.”
Treasure:
“Obviously, mental health is still such a huge stigma in the U.S., and I really appreciate the work that PHE does to build relationships with schools and communities and other youth organizations. I think building relationships is very important. As an organization, you don't want to just step into a community thinking that you know what they need. But I think asking for that community’s specific needs is important, and really understanding the context of that community as well. So, I really admire Peer Health Exchange for that. I also love that this organization focuses on empowering youth and building leaders. And I am also grateful to have been one of those young people that have experienced that, because I honestly think that youth empowerment and supporting the mental health of youth builds better communities for everyone. It's not just about the individual lives that y'all are trying to touch and support. It's to really build communities that are better for everyone.”
What skills and takeaways have you learned from being a part of Peer Health Exchange?
Varnika:
“A skill that I've learned from being a part of the Youth Advisory Board is the ability to collaboratively work in a team and make sure that I'm listening and considering every peer’s idea instead of being in an individualistic mindset. The hands-on experience of creating a civic engagement handbook and CYA (Community Youth Advocate) helps me realize a key takeaway on no idea is big or small. Each idea holds its own value and can make a tremendous impact on the work you, as a team, are doing, and I feel like I will definitely be carrying these lessons with me throughout high school because they will help me become a better leader, a better friend, and a better peer.”
Treasure:
“I would definitely say I learned collaboration and co-creating. Those were very important skills that helped me through college as I got into groups with other students working with different faculty, different staff. It's definitely helped me in those roles. And then I would also say being an advocate in different capacities and different spaces. I used to think that being an advocate is just attending a protest or just things like that. But being an advocate can literally just be any way that you're meeting the needs of different communities and finding different ways of resisting the things that keep people marginalized or keeping up barriers for people to thrive, and just mental health, but in other aspects too. And I've definitely incorporated different ways of doing advocacy work in public health, but also in other spaces during college.”