FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SBHC Youth Legislative Awareness Day 2017
On February 27, 2017, young people from across Oregon will gather to advocate for access to health and wellness to cap off February’s School-Based Health Care Awareness Month, which was proclaimed by Governor Kate Brown on February 1st, 2017. The Oregon-School Based Health Alliance’s School-Based Health Center Youth Legislative Awareness Day—in its 10th year in 2017—is the only youth-driven advocacy event that supports school-based health in Oregon
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.
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.
Awareness Day, held on February 26 at the Oregon state capitol, gathered more than 60 advocates to highlight the impact of school-based health services on student health and academic achievement. The event provided an opportunity for young people to visit the capitol, meet their legislators, and link their personal stories to the importance of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in communities around the state.
