Local youth and adult allies are hosting young people from throughout California in back- to-back convenings over the coming days. The first convening will bring together representatives from the five northern Building Healthy Communities sites, including East Oakland, East Salinas, Richmond, South Sacramento, and Del Norte and the Adjacent Tribal Lands. The second convening involves the Building Healthy Communities Statewide Youth Steering Committee, consisting of youth representatives from all 14 BHC sites in California from Del Norte County to San Diego. Del Norters are looking forward to playing host and helping the youth from other parts of California understand what it means to live in our community. “We are excited to welcome everyone to our unique community, show them the beautiful area we live in, and work
together to strategize how to make each of our sites, including Del Norte County, better places for our youth to grow up and be healthy, safe, comfortable, and prepared for bright futures,” said Makenzy Williams, the Steering Committee member from Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands.


The Building Healthy Communities initiative has recognized the importance of growing youth power and leadership in order to improve health at the local, regional and state level. Youth voice, culture, creativity and passion are critical perspectives and tools in the effort to improve the health of communities.

The convenings serve as the beginning of a summer of exciting youth opportunities. Shortly after hosting visitors a group of DNATL youth will make visits of their own, making stops at Sacramento’s BHC site, the RYSE Youth Center in Richmond and Youth UpRising in Oakland to learn more about youth media. And beginning June 30th scores of local youth ages 14-24 will be employed as Youth Research Assistants through the California Center for Rural Policy’s Youth and Young Adult Academy. CCRP and local partners will provide the youth employees opportunities to gain invaluable life, leadership and job skills.

Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands is one of 14 communities across the state working with The California Endowment through the Building Healthy Communities initiative to spread the message: health happens in schools, homes and neighborhoods.