The Youth Advocates (YA) is a positive youth development program that empowers Brownsville, Dallas, and San Antonio high school students to take civic action and become leaders of the adolescent health movement. With near-peer guidance from our four Team Leads, YA members advocate on local and state levels on topics such as access to evidence-based sex education and teen-friendly preventative healthcare.

YA members are compensated hourly and can make up to $700 a year.

take a sneak peek at our amazing program

Program Goals

The Youth Advocates program works to build the next generation of civic leaders. We empower high school students with knowledge and skills in advocacy, public speaking, research, civic engagement, and more.

Our Youth Advocates work on public health projects and campaigns that typically focus on topics like sexual health, healthy relationships, and evidence-based health education. To accomplish the mission of the program, YA members learn about sexual health, policy, and advocacy. With support from program staff, YA members develop and execute three youth-driven, community-focused campaigns throughout the program year. Campaigns are typically centered around public health, health policies, or civic engagement. Campaigns will change yearly depending on the interests of the YA members.

Historic campaigns have included topics such as:

Updating health education standards for Texas schools
Connecting SHACs & School Boards to the communities they serve
#SexEdForAll Month
Menstrual equity
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Let’s Talk Month
Educated youth voters

Program Benefits

A look into the YA Year

Meeting Times & Locations

The YA program runs from August to May. Each cohort holds meetings every other week, from 6 – 8 pm. While in-person attendance is strongly encouraged, we have a hybrid attendance option for special circumstances.

Current cohort meeting times are:

San Antonio: Every other Monday at the Healthy Futures office, 6 – 8 PM
Dallas: Every other Wednesday at the Dallas office, 6 – 8 PM
Brownsville: Every other Thursday at the Brownsville UT-RGV Library, 6 – 8 PM

Additionally, we have several other in person events, including an advocacy day at the Texas Capitol, typically held on a weekday in February, and a sex education class held on a Saturday prior to the start of the school year.

Each YA member participates in a virtual check-in with a member of the YA leadership team quarterly.

Youth also have the opportunity to participate in optional community-wide coalitions and plan local events.

Program Requirements

Be enrolled in high school, a GED program, a technical school, or homeschool grades 9-12 for the 2024-2025 school year
Complete the YA application
Turn in the parent/guardian permission slip
Complete an interview
Be willing and able to commit to at least 80% of the general in-person meetings (with hybrid options for special circumstances). Meetings are held in the evenings twice a month from August to May, totaling 10 meetings per semester.

Program Application Process

Fill out google form application
Receive text from YA leadership to schedule a virtual interview
Have interview
Receive notification of whether the application is accepted, declined, or waitlisted
Have parents/guardians sign consent form
Complete youth membership contract

Ready to apply? The next cohort opens in May 2025.

meet our staff

Jen, Senior Director of Policy and Research

Hi, I’m Jen. I live in Austin and lead our work at the Capitol to support healthy teens. I have a background in public policy, public health, and education, but especially love working with young people to help them become the next generation of leaders. I’m a proud mother of two boys, including a high schooler who kind of wishes his mom had a normal job that didn’t involve sex education.

Sophia, Program Manager

Hi, I am Sophia (she/her)! I am a proud San Antonio native, UTSA Public Health graduate, and dedicated advocate. I have been working with the YA group for 3 years and it has been a transformational experience. I love being a part of this program because it not only gives youth the information they need to make healthy, informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health, but it also gives them the tools they need to make a long-term change for their community.

Alayjah, Dallas Health Educator II

Hello, I’m Alayjah! I have a passion for improving the overall health of youth and believe that begins with advocacy and access to education. I live in Dallas and grew up in Massachusetts– where I received my undergraduate degree in Public Health Sciences. Working with the Youth Advocates program truly shows me the greatness and loads of possibilities there are in making change within sexual and reproductive health policy. I am happy to be a part of the Youth Advocates Team!

Juanita, Brownsville Health Educator II

Hi, I’m Juanita (she/ella), a Gen Z (not really, but I like to pretend I am) educator in the RGV. I’m passionate about working with young people and informing my community about sexual health and consent. I love being part of Youth Advocates to advance the reproductive health of ALL Texas youth!

Kennia, Brownsville Team Lead

Hi, I’m Kennia (she/her). I am currently a Senior at UTRGV pursuing a Bachelor’s Concentration in Bilingual Elementary Education because I have a passion for educating our youth! I am soon to complete my first year with the YA team and I am happy to report, I love it! I have loved learning about sexual health and policies and educating youth, so being able to do both at the same time is a dream job come true. I hope to aid in the goal of providing youth evidence-based sexual education to help them make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

Arial, San Antonio Team Lead

Hi! I’m Arial (they/she), born and raised in Houston, Texas. I am an incoming senior at Trinity University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. After graduation, I plan to spend a few years conducting research before pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology. I am passionate about sexual assault awareness and prevention, and dedicated to helping marginalized populations through advocacy work. Being a part of the Youth Advocates allows me to actively contribute to meaningful change and support individuals within our community. I have gained valuable experience in advocacy and have been able to surround myself with like-minded peers and mentors who not only share my values but are also dedicated to improving public health.

Marcela Hernandez, San Antonio Team Lead

Hi, I’m Marcela (they/them), the newest team lead for the San Antonio Youth Advocates program. I’m an incoming freshman at UTSA majoring in Mexican-American Studies. I hope to work for a nonprofit after undergrad and law school. I’m passionate about helping my community and I’m so grateful to be a part of the Healthy Futures of Texas team. I was a YA member during my senior year of high school and can’t wait to see how the program will grow in my time as Team Lead.

Kiara Green (she/her), Dallas Team Lead

Hi, I’m Kiara (she/her)! I was born in Dallas, Texas. I currently go to the University of Texas at Arlington, majoring in business management. I am passionate about helping people and as I grow my skills for my future career. I plan to continue to work in public health. I am passionate about overall health and I believe health education is very important. I am elated that I am able to be a part of the Healthy Futures of Texas team.

our youth voice

“YA is a supportive group where I have been taught the skills to make a difference in my school, city, and state.“ – Morgan E, YA Member

“I applied to be a part of YA to learn more about STIs and how to keep myself and my friends safe from them. I wanted to take control of my health.“ –Gabriel U, YA Member

“My dream is to fight for the rights of the people in my community, but I’ve never had the resources to do it. YA gives me a platform to advocate for issues that mean the world to me.“ – Daniya V, YA Member

“This program helped me understand how important sexual health education is and taught me how to enact change within my community.“ – Nevaeh S, YA member

“I love being a YA member because it gives me a community of people who share my passion to advocate for better access to quality sex education.“ – Marcela H, YA Member

“Youth Advocates has given me a safe and reliable place to go to for information and helped me learn how to effectively create change in my community.“ -Heaven S, YA member

“My most memorable moment in YA, one of many, was RGV TeenFest! This event was a chance to interact in person with our community’s youth and our community’s organizations that have the same goal as ours. Not only could I educate the youth but also learn from other stands such as Friendship of Women. A major take-away from YA is the relationships made with our Health Educator, Juanita, our team leads Kennia and Pam, and all of our youth members. I have found a community here that makes me feel more at home and comfortable than any other time in my life. I keep these relationships in my heart and try my best to provide this home for others.“ – Anika B, YA member

“My most memorable moment in YA was being in Austin, the capital, and seeing all the history on the walls, floor, and ceilings. Also being with so many different people that understood my ideas was absolutely amazing. One major takeaway from YA is all the relationships I’ve made and all the new knowledge I’ve acquired.“ – Julianna B, YA member

“The most memorable time was Austin and the RGV fest. I learned a lot more about protection and safety.“ – Elisa G, YA Member

“My most memorable moment in YA was when we did our PowerPoint in the beginning of the semester. This is because we got to learn more of others and what they’re strongly passionate about. This helped us figure out what kind of person each one of us was. My biggest takeaway was learning about Title X clinics.“ – Edgar , YA Member

Advocacy Youth Advocates