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February 2025
 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
We are excited to announce the launch of the newly expanded Child and Adolescent Health Subcommittee. The Maternal and Child Health Advisory Task Force established the subcommittee and announced plans for expansion late in 2024. New members have been selected to serve a two-year term.
Subcommittee members:
- Vanessa Bembridge, Hennepin Health
- Stephanie de Sam Lazaro, St. Catherine University
- Deborah Erickson, Brooklyn Center Community Schools
- Sydney Hobart, Allina Health
- Rachael Joseph, The Family Partnership
- April Miller, Sanford Health
- Susan Nelson, School Based Health Center—Deer River
- Eugene Nichols, Executive Committee of the Maternal and Child Health Advisory
- Jackie Saulsbury, Atwater Cosmos Grove City Schools
- Connie Sheehan, MN School Based Health Alliance
- Sarah Shimek, Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, Polk County
- Harmony Slabchuck, Better Together Hennepin, Hennepin County
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) staff support:
- Mariah Geiger-Williams, state adolescent health coordinator
- Julie Neitzel Carr, unit supervisor, adolescent and school health unit
- Kristin Teipel, unit supervisor, child and adolescent health unit
Do you know an organization who should be featured in our newsletter? Contact us: Health.AdolescentHealth@state.mn.us.
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Dating violence is more common than you may think, especially among teens and young adults: one in three U.S. teens will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before becoming adults. Nearly half (43%) of U.S. college women report experiencing violent or abusive dating behaviors.
Each February, young adults and their loved ones raise awareness about teen dating violence through Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. This effort focuses on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts.
Join us by using the hashtag #RespectThat and find more ways to participate at the Love is Respect Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month web page.
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School-Based Health Care Awareness Month
February is National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month, an effort to increase awareness about how school-based health centers transform children’s access to and delivery of comprehensive health services. Every child needs access to health care to thrive and these health centers can help them get there. Learn more about school-based health centers on MDH’s school-based health centers web page, and the MN School Based Health Alliance webpage.
Minnesota Department of Education publishes request for comments for rules governing K-12 academic standards in health
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is developing rules to establish statewide academic standards for health education. The standards will apply from kindergarten through grade 12.
The rules will be drafted with guidance from an advisory committee and with input from the public. There will be multiple opportunities to provide feedback. Learn more about academic standards, the legislative mandate for statewide standards, the advisory committee, and ways to offer feedback on initial drafts on the Health Education webpage.
The standards are subject to the rulemaking process outlined in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 14 and Minnesota Rules Chapter 1400. As part of that process, the department has published a Request for Comments in the Minnesota State Register. The comment period will end at 4:30 p.m. on April 4. A copy of the Request for Comments can be found on MDE’s K-12 Health Standards rulemaking webpage.
Comments should be respectful and relevant to the topic. The comment board is an opportunity for you to offer input or suggestions. It is not meant as a forum for debate or back-and-forth discussions. To offer your feedback, suggestions or comment, visit the Office of Administrative Hearing's comment board.
Mental Health America Youth Policy Accelerator now accepting applications
The Youth Policy Accelerator is a youth leadership program that equips 10 outstanding young adults with the skills, relationships, and experience to advance federal youth peer support policy.
Accelerator members are young adult leaders (18-25) with diverse backgrounds and identities interested at the intersection of policy change and youth peer support.
Learn more and apply. Applications are due Feb. 23.
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National School-Based Health Alliance Youth Advisory Council opportunity
The National School-Based Health Alliance is now accepting applications for their 2025-26 Youth Advisory Council. Youth who have current or prior access to a school-based health center, are working to address health care issues affecting young people, and are passionate about school-based health care are encouraged to apply.
Learn more about the School-Based Health Alliance Youth Advisory Council and view the application at the National School-Based Health Alliance web page.
The application portal closes Feb. 28. Email youthadvisorycouncil@sbh4all.org with questions.
Minnesota Student Survey: participate this spring
The Minnesota Student Survey will be conducted this spring at participating schools and institutions across the state. The survey is conducted once every three years with middle and high schools. School participation is voluntary, and individual students or parents can opt out of taking the survey.
This survey is a vital source of anonymous self-report data on many under-reported issues. It is critical to have as much school participation in the survey as possible, to ensure data is accurate and available for use consistently across the state.
Background information about the Minnesota Student Survey is available on the Minnesota Student Survey website.
Without the Minnesota Student Survey, many of these resources would not be possible or available:
Interested in exploring Minnesota Student Survey data from prior years? Access data through the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Minnesota Student Survey Reports 2013-2022 webpage or by request Minnesota Student Survey Data Request Form and Data User Agreement.
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