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Published May 2024
Increase youth agency, youth engagement, and training and support for caring adults
Each May, the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) celebrates National Adolescent Health Month™ (NAHM™).
This annual observance emphasizes the importance of building on young people’s strengths and potential, encouraging meaningful youth engagement in adolescent health activities, and highlighting key topics in adolescent health.
Week three features information on increasing youth agency and engagement and best practices for supporting the caring adults in adolescents’ lives.
Young people know what programs and services they need to support their health and well-being. Involving young people in creating these programs and policies builds their competence and leadership skills and supports self-determination. Increasing youth agency and engagement benefits young people by building their capacity to become independent adults. Supportive and caring adults are critical to helping young people advocate for themselves and make good decisions about their health and well-being.
Caring adults, such as family members, caregivers, health care professionals, school staff, and others working with young people, can take steps to engage youth. But these adults need support, too. With support, information, and training, caring adults are better equipped to understand and support young people.
All adults can support youth agency and engagement by actively listening to young people, centering their voices and lived experience, and involving them in program development. Adults can also work together to share resources and information that best support adolescents.
Explore resources on how you can increase youth agency and youth engagement
Explore resources on how you can strengthen training and support for caring adults
See You on Thursday for OPA’s Youth Dialogue
Join OPA this Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET. for a youth dialogue! This virtual dialogue will feature young people’s perspectives on what is needed to build communities that will help them be healthy and thrive now and into the future.
Register for the Youth Dialogue on Imagining Youth-Centered Communities!
There’s Still Time to Complete OPA’s Games during NAHM!
Complete the activities on the Take Action Bingo card to show how you are championing young people and prioritizing their health and well-being. You can download a Bingo Superstar badge for getting three in a row or a Bingo Champion badge for filling out the whole card. Once you complete your Bingo card, share your card and the badge on social media before the end of May!
It’s not too late to join the conversation! Respond to OPA’s weekly Take Action Q&A on OPA’s LinkedIn page. We hope you will share your knowledge, ideas, and lived experiences with us! Respond to each of the four prompts and download a Q&A Superstar badge at the end of May.
The badges are intended for use only during May 2024. If you have any questions, please email opa@hhs.gov.
Share messages about National Adolescent Health Month
Please join us in celebrating NAHM by sharing our social media and newsletter messages during May. Don't forget to tag OPA on LinkedIn (HHS Office of Population Affairs) and X/Twitter (@HHSPopAffairs) and use the NAHM hashtags in your posts: #NationalAdolescentHealthMonth and #HealthyYouthNAHM.
Please read this trademarking guidance - PDF before using the NAHM logo, name, or acronym. For assistance, please contact: opa@hhs.gov.
X/Twitter/Threads:
- Calling all adults who care for or work with adolescents! This week, #NationalAdolescentHealthMonth focuses on increasing youth agency and engagement and providing training and support to adults in their lives. @HHSPopAffairs #HealthyYouthNAHM https://opa.hhs.gov/nahm#week-three
- Including young people in developing programs and policies that support their health and well-being increases their agency, engagement, and capacity to become independent adults. #NationalAdolescentHealthMonth @HHSPopAffairs https://opa.hhs.gov/nahm#week-three
- When caring adults have the support, information, and training, they are better equipped to understand and support young people. #NationalAdolescentHealthMonth @HHSPopAffairs https://opa.hhs.gov/nahm#week-three
LinkedIn/Facebook:
- oung people know what programs and services they need to support their health and well-being. Involving young people in creating these programs and policies builds their competence and leadership skills, supports self-determination, and builds their capacity to become independent adults. Supportive and caring adults are critical to helping young people advocate for themselves and make good decisions about their health and well-being. Join the HHS Office of Population Affairs (OPA) during National Adolescent Health Month™ (NAHM™) to learn how you can increase youth agency and engagement. https://opa.hhs.gov/nahm#week-three
- Supportive and caring adults are critical to helping young people advocate for themselves and make good decisions about their health and well-being. They can support youth agency and engagement by actively listening to young people, centering their voices and lived experiences, and involving them in program development. Adults can also work together to share resources and information that best support adolescents. Join the HHS Office of Population Affairs (OPA) during National Adolescent Health Month™ (NAHM™) to learn how you can strengthen training and support for caring adults. https://opa.hhs.gov/nahm#week-three
Newsletter:
Increase youth engagement, agency, and training and support for caring adults during NAHM
Young people know what programs and services they need to support their health and well-being. Caring, supportive adults can help young people advocate for themselves and make good decisions about their health and well-being. In recognition of National Adolescent Health Month™ (NAHM™), the HHS Office of Population Affairs has resources for adults to increase youth agency and engagement and strengthen training and support for caring adults.
Sharable NAHM Graphics:
National Adolescent Health Month™, NAHM™, and the NAHM logo are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Use of these marks without prior approval by HHS is strictly prohibited.