In our last quarter’s blogs, you learned a bit about our Catapult Study, IWES’ local implementation of the Global Early Adolescent Study (GEAS) conducted in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Another major component of this endeavor is a National Youth Advisory Board (NYAB), which we’re excited to introduce you to today! In forming the NYAB internship, IWES’ Research and Evaluation division sought to more deeply and meaningfully engage our youth participants, both to ensure that our homegrown Creating a Future Together (CrAFT) curriculum and study approach are relevant and responsive to their unique needs, and also to offer extensive training and capacity building in research and advocacy—all in an effort to review and disseminate GEAS findings through our young people’s own participatory action lenses. Trained in a variety of topics spanning from data storytelling to research ethics and justice to advocacy tools and the finer points of research methodology, our seven interns were encouraged to develop research projects and peer messaging about the health and social matters that seemed most critical to them personally, in an effort to shift harmful gender stereotypes and norms, and advocate for youth-responsive services. We’re excited to assist them in their growth as researchers and leaders, and we invite you to take a moment to get to know some of our interns in their own words below!

Ekundayo A., (He/Him) 

10th Grade, Benjamin Franklin High School

Please describe your NYAB internship research and why it is important to you:

My research question is “How does lack of financial literacy affect economic disparity in New Orleans?” This is personal to me because as someone who has grown up with pockets that were rarely flushed, it makes it a personal matter for me.

What do you think is the most valuable skill, tool, or information you have learned, and why do you consider that the most valuable?

How to analyze and source research, because I feel like it'll help in the long run.

What is one way in which you feel you have grown as a result of your participation in the NYAB internship?

I've been able to emphasize and speak more fluently about pressing social matters.

Kristalynn G., (She/Her) 

10th Grade, New Orleans Charter Math & Science High School 

Please describe your NYAB internship research and why it is important to you:

My research question is “What are the disparities in mental health challenges impacting LGBTQ+ adolescents compared to those of non-LGBTQ+ adolescents?” I feel it's important to talk about LGBTQ+ youths’ mental health needs and how these needs can be met.

What do you think is the most valuable skill, tool, or information you have learned, and why do you consider that the most valuable?

I think the most valuable skill and information I have learned is how to gather information for my research.

What is one way in which you feel you have grown as a result of your participation in the NYAB internship?

I feel that I have grown by learning different skills to help me think and develop my question and how I'm going to present my project.

Savannah M., (She/Her) 

10th Grade, Frederick A. Douglass High School

Please describe your NYAB internship research question and why this question is important to you:

My research question is looking at how entertainment can benefit the mental health of students. Specifically, I’m looking at participating in and consuming sources of entertainment, such as gaming or sports, and how that may positively impact a young person’s mental health.

What do you think is the most valuable skill, tool, or information you have learned, and why do you consider that the most valuable?

I think the most important information I learned during my work with the NYAB is that a lot of patients with PTSD have seen quite a bit of improvement with their mental health through participating in gaming.

What is one way in which you feel you have grown as a result of your participation in the NYAB internship?

I feel I have grown communication-wise. Previously, if I was doing a project I would have never talked to the person who gave me that project. The one-on-one meetings have been extremely helpful, because now I feel like I can actually open up to my teachers about the issues I am having.

Maliyah S., (She/They) 

10th Grade, Warren Easton Charter High School

Please describe your NYAB internship research and why it is important to you: My question focuses on untreated anxiety among New Orleans youth and how we can better recognize and serve them. This is important to me because the only voice that can speak for the youth is the youth. So I make it my goal to help people, especially the newer people of this world.

What do you think is the most valuable skill, tool, or information you have learned, and why do you consider that the most valuable? The power of discussion and learning how to share what you learned. I've always understood the term “knowledge is power,” but being able to learn from others and being able to translate that to more people is an amazing thing.

What is one way in which you feel you have grown as a result of your participation in the NYAB internship? At first I had a hard time accepting when people had a different point of view from me. Not saying that I would completely blank them out, but it was harder for me to see it from another point of view. But now, it’s nice to see so many different views from people I respect.