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 Minnesota Partnership for Adolescent and Young Adult Health (MNPAH) is an action plan to guide adolescent and young adult health in Minnesota. This collaboratively developed plan was created to motivate, engage, and inspire action. It recognizes the important contributions and amazing ideas that exist across our great state. Each month this newsletter will highlight a priority from the plan and showcase an adolescent health partner in Minnesota.
In this edition
Improve the opportunities for young people to engage in activities that support healthy youth development.
This month’s priority spotlight is focused on out of school time. According to Ignite Afterschool, over 144,000 of Minnesota's youth are alone and unsupervised after school.
All young people need opportunities to engage in activities that support positive and healthy development. Of Minnesota Student Survey participants (including students in grades 5, 8, 9, and 11), 63% stated that their school or community offers a variety of programs for people their age to participate in outside of the regular school day.
To be effective, these out of school time opportunities must provide safe spaces and supportive relationships with adults and peers while being responsive to young people’s culture and identity. Out of school time programs support development when they focus on social skills, include meaningful community-based activities, and offer changes to healthy experimentation and decision making. The goal of this priority is to ensure that quality opportunities are available and accessible. The action steps focus on growing and strengthening opportunities for recreation, community service, and civic engagement.
Action Steps
- Access and strengthen the quality of youth-focused out of school programs.
- Create and support a wide variety of recreational activities for young people.
- Ensure communities have accessible youth and recreation centers with transportation for those in need.
- Build strong and sustainable programs.
- Offer meaningful employment and internship opportunities.
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The Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health initiative is changing systems to improve Black youth mental health by implementing a Black-centered, youth-led, and community-driven process to identify, analyze, implement and evaluate specific policy changes across Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. Black Youth Space, one part of the initiative, gives young people a place to belong.
Black Youth Space is an open collective of Black youth ages 12-22 founded in 2023. Black Youth Space was created as an opportunity for Black youth to be seen and supported, heard and understood, and use their voice to impact change related to mental health. In this space, youth participate in activities that help them connect with each other and build community, gain confidence and practice vulnerability, learn about history and culture, and have fun all while contributing to tangible change related to improving their mental health.
Black Youth Space continues to be consistently visioned and led by a core team of youth interns. Some Youth Space highlights include seeing the Lion King at the Orpheum, attending the Youth Violence Prevention Summit (facilitated by Agape Oasis), touring the African American Heritage Museum and Prince’s Paisley Park. Youth have also participated in a focus group on Black mental health in the news (facilitated by the University of Minnesota) and a policy workshop (facilitated by Wilder).
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The Child and Adolescent Health Subcommittee is seeking new members
The Maternal and Child Health Advisory Task Force has created a Child and Adolescent Health Subcommittee. This is a great opportunity for health educators, advocates, providers, and people who work with young people across the state. Six to eight individuals will be sought with a wide range of backgrounds and skills to be a part of this external advisory group.
Complete the survey to submit a nomination for the subcommittee. You may self-nominate or nominate another individual (with their knowledge and agreement). Submit the nomination survey by Dec. 6.
New Minnesota Student Survey website
We are excited to announce that the new Minnesota Student Survey website is live. It will be especially helpful for those who work with schools and districts. It includes information about the Minnesota Student Survey, its purpose, and frequently asked questions. The site also has information about the survey data and resources and will continue to be updated as we get closer to the 2025 survey period.
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