Published by MassNonprofit News
Jul 24, 2024
The Atrius Health Equity Foundation has announced its largest investment to date: $23 million in total funding for its first cohort of the Youth as Health Care Change Agents grant program, a new effort to fund youth-led community health solutions in cities and neighborhoods across Eastern Massachusetts. Together, these awards cultivate a pathway of community-based organizations that are creating, launching, and sustaining innovative youth-driven efforts to meet community health needs and close life expectancy gaps.
Decades of historical harm and limited investments have caused a 25-year difference between the longest and shortest lifespans of people in neighborhoods across Eastern Massachusetts. In a series of Foundation-facilitated community engagement sessions in 2023, community leaders identified economic mobility, educational opportunity, and youth as a population of focus as pathways to address the root causes of poor health and close life expectancy gaps. In response, the Foundation created the Youth as Health Care Change Agents grant program to support youth leadership in the development and implementation of community health solutions.
“The Atrius Health Equity Foundation heard directly from community leaders that economic mobility, educational opportunity, and youth as a population of focus are important to close the life expectancy gap. As a result of this community engagement and the Foundation’s belief that we must all come together to ensure everyone in Eastern Massachusetts lives a longer, healthier life, we created the Youth as Health Care Change Agents grant program,” said Dr. Ann Hwang, President of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation. “These efforts recognize organizations for their deep roots in the communities served and collaborative approach, and drive forward our vision for youth as powerful agents of change.”
The Foundation partnered with grantees to conduct community design sessions that engaged youth and families to co-create their programs. Over their funding period, each grantee will work in partnership with other organizations, youth and family in their communities to support youth in their full potential as health educators, health navigators, future health care professionals, and community health advocates.
"Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition is extremely grateful to receive funding from the Atrius Health Equity Foundation to enhance and expand our Vigorous Youth Program. Our Vigorous Youth, ages 14-19, have worked to improve the health of the Mattapan community by implementing health promotion activities and advocating for positive changes in the community through their own youth-led initiatives such as Mattapan on Wheels and their farm stand since 2008. Youth who work with us are integral to the vision of a healthy and thriving Mattapan community. Now they have the opportunity to expand their reach to impact their families, peers, and the community as a whole while building deeper relationships with new and existing partners," said Shavel'le Olivier, Executive Director, Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition.
“The BASE is thrilled to be part of this exciting new initiative of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation. With this funding, we will expand our work in nutrition education, mental health, leadership development, and more. As a result, our young people will be empowered to lead healthier lives and gain the knowledge and resources to be change agents in our communities. We believe this initiative is going to create intergenerational impact in Boston,” said Steph Lewis, President & CEO, BASE.
“The Brockton Neighborhood Health Center and partners, the Cape Verdean Association and Haitian Community Partners, are grateful for the Atrius Health Equity Foundation's generous and strategic investment in the Brockton Community. We are thrilled to be co-creating a program that will cultivate holistic, supported health care practitioners, leaders and change agents of tomorrow. The program will offer general health education sessions focused on topics identified by a youth advisory council, as well as pathways to healthcare professional certificates and on-site training at Brockton Neighborhood Health Center. With support from mentors and family advocates, the youth engaged in either of the educational components will become more holistic health care agents within the Brockton community,” said Maria Celli, Deputy CEO, Brockton Neighborhood Health Center.
"Achieving a future of health equity and racial justice is only possible by seeing, centering, and empowering the next generation of leaders in communities of color, such as Chelsea. With Atrius Health Equity Foundation's unprecedented investment, La Colaborativa will launch an innovative, bilingual community health worker training program that will catalyze economic opportunity for youth, while meaningfully improving life expectancy in Chelsea," said Gladys Vega, President, La Colaborativa.
“In 2019, eight Dorchester-based organizations came together to form the Fields Corner Crossroads Collaborative to address the barriers and disparities that people face in accessing health care, affordable housing, quality jobs and education and obtaining social justice. Specifically, the work of Crossroads’ Youth Council has been key to achieving wins through their leadership of a participatory budget process that has allocated funds to support community projects based on the expressed needs of residents. This award helps to take their work to the next level through investments in youth as change-makers in addressing issues in our community related to mental health and substance use disorders,” said Michelle Nadow, CEO, DotHouse Health, one of the anchor organizations in Crossroads.
“Lawrence Community Works and our partners are beyond excited about this investment in our community. Our project draws on over 15 years of work together that have built a strong culture of collaboration, trust, and impact. We have come together as partners and neighbors to address the social determinants of health for families in a central, densely populated, emerging neighborhood that is symbolic of the City's rebirth. With this grant, we're excited to create opportunities for our youth to learn, connect, lead, and create pathways to mental health and economic prosperity for themselves, their families, and their communities," said Jessica Andors, Executive Director, Lawrence Community Works.
“We are deeply grateful for the support from Atrius Health Equity Foundation for our Youth Health Program. This program will focus on youth and their families, addressing health, economic security, and life expectancy. By leveraging the health center and our partners’ expertise in innovative, culturally responsive services and youth programming, we will create new health career pathways and improve health outcomes. Our collaboration on this program with Community Teamwork, Inc., Coalition for a Better Acre, Greater Lowell Health Alliance, MassHire, and Lowell General Hospital/Tufts Medicine will ensure youth are supported from all corners of our city. The Youth Health Justice Academy, part of our Health Justice Learning Institute, will offer opportunities for young people to explore health careers in a community health setting and through a health justice lens. By centering youth and their families, we aim to combat chronic diseases, enhance wellness, and drive systems change. This grant propels our vision of a just and healthy community,” said Sheila Och, Executive Director, Health Justice Learning Institute and Chief Equity Officer, Lowell Community Health Center.
“This first-of-its-kind community health center student fellowship program will empower Lynn youth to explore dynamic healthcare roles, become patient advocates, and address the biggest health challenges impacting their families and community. We are excited to partner with the Atrius Health Equity Foundation to promote youth as change agents,” said Brenda Rodriguez, CEO, Lynn Community Health Center.
"Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition is extremely grateful to receive funding from the Atrius Health Equity Foundation to enhance and expand our Vigorous Youth Program. Our Vigorous Youth, ages 14-19, have worked to improve the health of the Mattapan community by implementing health promotion activities and advocating for positive changes in the community through their own youth-led initiatives such as Mattapan on Wheels and their farm stand since 2008. Youth who work with us are integral to the vision of a healthy and thriving Mattapan community. Now they have the opportunity to expand their reach to impact their families, peers, and the community as a whole while building deeper relationships with new and existing partners," said Shavel'le Olivier, Executive Director, Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition.
Established in 2022 as an independent organization, the Atrius Health Equity Foundation carries forward Atrius Health’s historic focus on improving health outcomes for all. The Foundation aims to close life expectancy gaps across Eastern Massachusetts by offering funding responsive to community priorities and that centers community leadership and collaboration.
With the announcement of these grants, the Foundation honors the memory of Jack Connors, Jr., who served on the Founding Board, insisted on taking bold action to close the gap in life expectancy and was dedicated to supporting youth to become the leaders of tomorrow.
This year’s eight awardees were selected through a highly competitive and rigorous selection process shaped by community input that emphasized accessible, progress-oriented grantmaking. View the full list of awardees below or at www.atriusfoundation.org/youthchange.
The BASE is an urban academy that uses the power of sports to engage youth, providing high-quality sports training paired with programs for college access, career development, and health & wellness. Funding from the Foundation will support the creation of a health track in collaboration with Boston Community Pediatrics and provide youth with health education, health care career exposure and connections to internship opportunities. Learn more at www.thebase.org.
Brockton Neighborhood Health Center collaborates with community agencies and residents to provide high-quality comprehensive health care that is responsive to community health needs and is linguistically, culturally, and financially accessible. Funding from the Foundation will support the development of a Hometown Healthcare Academy, in partnership with Haitian Community Partners and Cape Verdean Association of Brockton, which will deliver health education and mentoring alongside the establishment of a youth council and training youth with professional health certifications. Learn more at www.bnhc.org.
La Colaborativa is a Latina-led organization that works in partnership with Latinx immigrants to design an array of programs and initiatives with a focus on food and housing security, economic advancement, cultural celebration, and immigrant leadership. Funding from the Foundation will train older youth as community health workers, giving them a direct role in identifying and implementing community health solutions. Learn more at www.la-colaborativa.org.
DotHouse Health provides comprehensive primary care services, healthcare resources and community programming as a federally qualified health center in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and serves as an anchor for the Fields Corner Crossroads Collaborative. Funding from the Foundation will support the Fields Corner Crossroads Collaborative, expanding the youth-led effort the Collaborative has been cultivating since 2019 that centers the voices of young people to shape and lead their Youth Council program. The program employs youth to implement solutions to priority issues in their neighborhood –including mental health and substance use, which members of the Youth Council identified as intended impact areas. Learn more at www.dothousehealth.org.
Lawrence Community Works is a community development corporation that weaves together community planning, organizing, and asset-building efforts to create vibrant neighborhoods and empowered residents. Funding from the Foundation will support seven community organizations as well as the health center and hospital to work together to create internship opportunities, expand capacity to address mental health, and center youth in their community health solutions. Learn more at www.lawrencecommunityworks.org.
Lowell Community Health Center provides caring, quality, and culturally responsive health services to the people of Greater Lowell, regardless of their financial status. Funding from the Foundation will support Lowell CHC’s Health Justice Learning Institute’s groundbreaking initiative of establishing youth health career pathways and revolutionize programming to increase social connectedness, improve family health outcomes, support youth mental wellness, boost high school graduation and post-secondary educational attainment, and address substance use – all tailored to community needs. The program will bring together numerous cross-sectoral partners and establish a Youth and Health Coalition in Lowell. Learn more at www.lchealth.org.
Lynn Community Health Center is a multicultural, integrated healthcare practice that is recognized as a local leader in developing new initiatives that result in high-impact, low-cost health care. Funding from the Foundation will support a community health student fellowship for 14- to 18-year-olds in partnership with local educational institutions that will provide health education, mentorship, health care career exposure, and a clinical component focused on hypertension. Learn more at www.lynnchc.org.
Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition builds intergenerational leadership within the Mattapan neighborhood’s Black and Brown community to advocate for equitable access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity. Funding from the Foundation will directly support youth in multifaceted experiences around nutrition and physical activity, in collaboration with a wide range of community organizations, with a goal of impacting cardiometabolic disease. Learn more at www.mattapanfoodandfit.org.
About the Atrius Health Equity Foundation
Established in 2022 as an independent organization, the Atrius Health Equity Foundation carries forward Atrius Health’s historic focus on improving health outcomes for all. The Foundation’s grantmaking emphasizes collaboration and community leadership and seeks to achieve lasting impact by transforming systems to promote health equity, with the ultimate goal of creating a future where everyone in Eastern Massachusetts lives a longer, healthier life. More information about the Foundation’s work can be found atwww.atriusfoundation.org.
View the press release here.
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