May Newsletter

Hello and welcome to the May newsletter. As we enter a new month and are nearly halfway through 2023, we hope you have had a chance for rest and reflection. With the conclusion of Mental Health Awareness month, we would love to hear from you about your experiences and any activities you lead or took part in! Please send those to Youthhealth@extension.wisc.edu.

In this month's newsletter we are highlighting PATCH. They are an amazing organization we are partnering with this year. Below you will find a brief overview of the org, some quotes from Youth who have been involved with PATCH, and a link to a .pdf that illustrates some of the ways to partner with PATCH. Additionally, you'll find some important event reminders and resources for LGBTQ+ youth with Pride month starting on June 1st.

What is PATCH?

PATCH stands for Providers and Teens Communicating for Health As an innovative, youth-driven program, we engage, employ, educate, and empower youth to help create positive change. We work directly with young people to ensure youth voice is included in decisions that affect them, to improve adolescent health care quality, and to improve the overall health and well-being of their generation. After all, who could be more equipped to provide authentic insights into the concerns, needs, preferences, and realities of today’s adolescents than adolescents themselves?

From our friends at PATCH

"We cannot WAIT to join you for the June learning community call! Erica, the PATCH Director of Youth Engagement, will be joining you alongside a PATCH Teen! Together, they'll model our unique Youth Adult Partnerships, describe what it means to be Youth-Driven, and explore other ways YOU can work collaboratively with youth in your community. Here are just SOME of the ways we think we could partner with you to improve the health and well being of young people. We'll talk more about this and MORE on June 27th!"

What do PATCH Youth have to say?

"I was truly given the opportunity to use my voice to be an advocate in my community!"

"PATCH makes me feel really good about myself. Sometimes I stand back and think ‘Wow. I’m a part of this. I must be really cool.'"

"PATCH gave me confidence in public speaking, a new and unique community of friends each year, opportunities in public health, insight, knowledge, compassion, and SO many other things I’ll never be able to put into words."

"PATCH made me more aware of the things around me and how to advocate for myself."

Self-Care Corner

As we kick-off summer, check out Random Acts of Kindness Foundation's "Summer Self-Care Bingo!" Download your own bingo card here. It's a fun way to make sure you're taking care of you! All the hardwork you do does not go unnoticed, and this is a friendly reminder to pause, rest, and reflect.

Event Reminder!

What: June office Hours
When: June 8th, 9am - 10am
Topic: Well Badger Resource Center www.wellbadger.org
Lauren Lotter, the "Well Badger" Program Manager, will provide an overview of their program, discuss how LTHDs can promote their services best, and answer any questions that you might have. Feel free to join us!

June is Pride Month

Pride month is a celebration of and for the LGBTQ+ community. Celebrations began in 1970, one year after the Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Since then, celebrations have expanded and thrived despite the continued marginalization of LGBTQ+ folks.

However, according to the 2021 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey, "47.6% of students who are LGBT have seriously considered suicide, but only 17.8% of students who are LGBT say they mostly or always receive the help they need when in emotional distress." Clearly, there is more that needs to be done to support our LGBTQ+ youth.

The Wisconsin Department of Instruction (DPI) hosted the "LGBTQ + Youth in Crisis Best Practices Webinar " that provides some great information including a section titled "Sex, Gender, and Orientation 101" for all to better understand language and terminology used.

Find more information from the Wisconsin DPI here: https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/safe-schools/lgbt

Learning Community Call Reminder

We will be hosting our third learning community call on Monday, June 26th from 12:00pm - 1:30pm. Look out for another reminder email as we get closer!

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Madison, WI | 53706 US

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