Health Youth Ambassadors are Heating Up: 2023-2024 Cohort Application Now Open!

The summer is heating up, and so is our excitement for the 2023-2024 Health Youth Ambassadors program! Are you a high school student looking to develop your advocacy and leadership skills? Are you interested in connecting with peers from around the Commonwealth to make positive changes in your community and throughout the state? Do you want to help Kentucky kids and families with their overall health and wellbeing? If so, apply TODAY to be a [...]

By |2023-07-05T16:31:25-04:00July 5th, 2023|Blog, Health, Kids Count|

Call for Photos: Let’s See Your Cute Kids!

Kentucky Youth Advocates is looking for photos of Kentucky kids to include in the 2023 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book and other Kentucky Youth Advocates publications. We know you all proudly share pictures of your kids and grandkids by hanging them on your refrigerator and posting them on social media. Here’s your chance to promote those cute kids through Kentucky Youth Advocates’ materials. We need your photos by September 1st so please start sending them [...]

By |2023-06-13T15:33:26-04:00June 8th, 2023|Blog, Kids Count|

Health Youth Ambassadors Participate in the Kentucky Youth Tobacco Control Workshop

On April 12th, two of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Health Youth Ambassadors took part in the Kentucky Youth Tobacco Control Workshop hosted by the Networking for Kentucky Youth (N4KY) and #iCANendthetrend Youth Advisory Board. This youth-developed and youth-led tobacco control workshop was a full-day immersive experience which offered a chance for students from across the state to connect, network, and learn both with and from one another. Throughout the day, students took part in team [...]

By |2023-04-27T13:03:37-04:00April 27th, 2023|Blog, Education, Health, Kids Count|

OP-ED: Kentucky youth say ‘Listen to us!’ — and hear us about decisions made about our futures

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the NKY Tribune on November 23, 2022. By Jordan Joslin, Kori Wheeler, and Kirsten Yancy As the November midterm elections have come to a close, Kentuckians are now looking ahead to the 2023 Kentucky General Assembly and Governor's race. Voters will make their way to the polls next November, and we – Kentucky's youth – are relying on those same voters to keep us top of mind when casting [...]

Youth Voices in the 2022 KIDS COUNT County Data Book Release

Each year, the Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book allows readers and leaders to investigate areas in which Kentucky and its counties are making progress and areas needing focused attention for improvement. The publication highlights data in four domains of child well-being in Kentucky: economic security, education, health, and family and community. As we look ahead to the 2023 Kentucky General Assembly and Governor’s race, Kentucky Youth Advocates invited young people from across the Commonwealth to [...]

2022 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at Data Trends and Kentucky Kids’ Ideas for a Brighter Future in the Commonwealth

2022 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book: A Look at Data Trends and Kentucky Kids’ Ideas for a Brighter Future in the Commonwealth Featuring the latest county-level data for key measures of child well-being Louisville, KY – For optimal well-being, children need thriving communities that support strong families, good health, protection from harm, economic security, and a high-quality education. The 2022 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book features the latest data on 16 measures of [...]

Mark Your Calendar, Advocates!

The 2023 Kentucky General Assembly is right around the corner, and we have a lot in store over the next few months as we get ready to advocate for Kentucky kids! Check out these upcoming opportunities to get involved: November 16th 2022 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book Check out the latest county-level data at kyyouth.org/kentucky-kids-count/ View the launch event, featuring remarks from Lt. Governor Coleman and youth from across Kentucky December 7th A lookahead [...]

Health Youth Ambassadors: 2022 Onboarding Retreat

In September, 13 high school students from around the Commonwealth came together in Bowling Green, KY for the first time as the new 2022-2023 Health Youth Ambassadors cohort!  The Health Youth Ambassadors (HYA) program is a statewide cohort that engages youth to learn about advocacy and policy, address social determinants of health through policy change, and advocate for themselves and their peers on health-related issues. The new HYAs met for a two-day immersive policy [...]

By |2023-01-25T15:29:08-05:00October 12th, 2022|Blog, Health, Kids Count|

Making Kids Count in the 2022 Election

Kids cannot vote, but you can ensure that their voices are heard by engaging with candidates in local, state, and federal elections. The local, state, and federal leaders we elect determine policy that will impact our daily lives for what may be generations to come. But how often do we pause to consider–specifically–how our choices at the ballot box will impact us, and particularly young children who depend on us to make the right [...]

Save the Date: Children’s Advocacy Week 2023

For over 15 years advocates for kids gathered in Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol to fill the halls of the Capitol and ask their elected officials to step up for Kentucky kids. The critical mass of advocates in the Capitol building led to many policy wins and raising awareness of issues facing kids and their families.   More recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we've transitioned to Children's Advocacy WEEK with a [...]

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