We've started asking young people about their experiences with school-based health centers around the state and we're finding some amazing stories. Below we feature two perspectives. Mandy from David Douglas High School and C.C.J. from Pendleton High School share, in their own words, some powerful stories about health and SBHCs.

Mandy is a senior at David Douglas High School in Multnomah County

On February 26, I woke up, hopped into my white 1986 Cabriolet, and drove from my home in Portland, Oregon, to the state’s capital, Salem, for Awareness Day 2015.

In February 2015, the School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA) convened leaders from 16 state affiliate organizations in Washington, DC to create an 18-month joint affiliate-national action plan to drive SBHC development across the country.

The Oregon School-Based Health Alliance’s (OSBHA) 2015 SBHC Awareness Day on February 26, 2015 was a resounding success and the largest event of its kind supporting the state’s school-based health centers and stimulating youth leadership, advocacy, and civic engagement. More than 125 youth and adult advocates from five counties traveled to the state’s capitol in Salem to advocate for school-based health care and bring the youth voice to legislators.