Through programs like Student Health Advocates (SHA) and Youth Corps (YC), youth lead and co-create initiatives that prioritize youth wellness in their schools in partnership with the school community. But this involvement doesn’t just help communities and the entirety of Oregon’s youth … It also helps each engaged individual to develop critical skills like problem-solving, teamwork and innovation, along with fostering self-confidence.

One example of these initiatives is the Care & Consent Zine, where youth from SHA and Black & Beyond the Binary Collective collaborated on youth-friendly materials discussing relationship consent and Oregon’s Minor Consent Rights. See the free-to-view and print copies of the English and Spanish versions here. For guidance on how to fold a zine once printed, look at this tutorial here. We hope that the more youth, adults, and community members who know about this important information, the better. If you want to support projects like this, please consider donating to OSBHA, so we can continue prioritizing youth-led initiatives in our organization.