Champions for Youth Podcast
The Champions for Youth Podcast brings together trailblazers in youth advocacy, education, and public health at the forefront of creating impactful change as they reveal their motivations to take action and strategies that make a difference in their communities.
Join us for inspirational bi-monthly conversations to empower any youth-facing professional with actionable insights for combatting health behavior challenges youth face in communities everyday.
Episodes
15 episodes
Taking Childhood Nutrition in Small Bites with Jennifer Anderson from Kids Eat in Color
How can we use social media as an effectively tool for positive change in childhood nutrition?We sit down with Jennifer Anderson, registered dietitian, public health expert, and founder of Kids Eat in Color. We explore how short-form sto...
•
Episode 15
•
33:46
Building Youth Programs with Dr. Melanie Bean from Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU
What does it really take to build youth programs that actually create a movement towards change?In this conversation, we explore why successful youth health initiatives are rarely one-and-done. From forming unexpected partnerships to na...
•
Episode 14
•
31:38
Using Your Purpose to Stay Motivated and Create Change with Dr. Caree Cotwright
How are we supposed to stay motivated in today’s ever-changing times and shake the feeling of ‘being stuck?'In this conversation, we explore how your purpose becomes a source of motivation when resources feel scarce and the path forward ...
•
Episode 13
•
33:32
Sitting Less and Learning More with Brooke Sydnor Curran of Move2Learn
What if getting young people moving was one of the simplest, yet overlooked tools we have for improving their health, focus, and sense of belonging?From classroom transitions to community partnerships, we explore what happens when moveme...
•
Episode 12
•
23:08
Beyond Nutrition: Embracing Food as Medicine, Identity, and Power with Dr. Kofi Essel
What if the intersection of food, culture, and community holds the key to solving some of the more pressing health challenges facing youth?In this conversation we dive into how nutrition is more than science, it’s personal. We explore ho...
•
Episode 11
•
29:14
Creating the Next Generation of Health Leaders Through Youth Volunteerism with Dr. Sandy Chung
What if the future of public health doesn’t depending on more programs, but on empowering more young people who believe in them?In this episode, we explore how one person’s lived experience and a spark of encouragement led to the creatio...
•
Episode 10
•
26:07
Equipping Youth to Confront the Fentanyl Crisis with Author Ben Westhoff
What if saving lives started with teaching the truth; early, often, and without shame?In this episode, we learn how one personal tragedy turned into a mission to expose the real dangers of fentanyl and help young people make informed li...
•
Episode 9
•
18:54
A Teenager’s Personal Journey of Turning Struggle to National Impact with 16 year-old Taanvi Arekapudi
What if the first step to solving some of the most pressing youth mental health challenges wasn’t a policy or a program, but a peer-supported conversation?In this episode, we hear how one teenager turned her personal struggle with anxiet...
•
Episode 8
•
37:14
Empowering Youth with Deaf Performer & Artist Justina Miles
What if the boldest form of representation wasn’t just about being seen, but about showing up loudly in spaces that never expected you — like America's biggest stage? Noticing a lack of Deaf representation put Justina on a path tow...
•
Episode 7
•
11:59
Bites Like Books: Modeling Nutrition as Foundational as Literacy with Dr. Nimali Fernando of Doctor Yum Project
What if kids learned nutrition the same way they learned to read? In this episode, we explore how everyday food habits and routines can lay the foundation for lifelong health. We talk about why modeling matters, how nutrition and li...
•
Episode 6
•
21:23
More Than Enough: Building Confidence & Creating Leaders with Dr. Vee Kativhu, UN Global Youth Leader
What if the key to leadership wasn’t about having it all figured out, but believing that you’re ready to begin?This episode is all about building confidence, trusting your voice, and creating space for young people to step into leadershi...
•
Episode 5
•
16:59
Naloxone on Wheels: An Artist’s Approach to Preventing Fentanyl Overdoses with John Freyer, Associate Professor at VCU
In recognition of National Fentanyl Awareness Day, this episode highlights a powerful story of recovery, creativity, and community-based harm reduction.We’ll learn how a conceptual artist, and person in long-term recovery, is transformin...
•
Episode 4
•
25:16
The Earliest Years Matter: Talking ACEs and Influencing the Future of Health with Jackie Wong of First 5 California
What if the key to solving some of the biggest health challenges young people face today started long before they even set foot in a classroom?We will explore how early childhood experiences shape lifelong health including our genetics a...
•
Episode 3
•
24:01
Effective Strategies Behind Changing Youth Health Behaviors with Jeff Jordan of Rescue Agency
How do you get young people to actually change their behaviors and make healthier choices? In this episode, we sit down with the founder of Rescue Agency, Jeff Jordan—a powerhouse in behavior change marketing—to uncover messaging strategies tha...
•
Episode 2
•
24:29
Powerful Youth Voices From Y Street Are Creating Healthier Futures
What happens when young people take the lead in shaping the future of health in their communities? In this debut episode, we’re diving into the impact of youth-driven advocacy with the changemakers from an influential youth-led movement, Y Stre...
•
Episode 1
•
23:56
