Youth Health Leadership teams up for Earth Day Festival
environmental Health

Youth Health Leadership teams up for Earth Day Festival

Penny A. Ralston and Camille Lewis

Youth Health Leadership teams up for Earth Day Festival

The 2022 cohort of Youth Health Leadership (YHL) recently partnered with the Tallahassee Earth Day Festival to promote environmental health and sustainability.

Under the leadership of Camille Lewis, the purpose of the Earth Day Festival was to bring community together and provide them with practical and informative exhibits, activities, and workshops centered around sustainability. In total, over 500 people attended the event, held on April 23 in conjunction with the global Earth Day celebration.

The YHL members, who participated in the Festival to fulfill their Collaborative Project for the program, served as a vendor and provided an interactive exhibit on “People for the Planet” to demonstrate the reciprocal relationship between the natural environment and people’s health.  

The exhibit was in two parts:  A children’s table that included a hands-on activity to build an urban garden and materials on Earth Day and how to prepare flavored water using fruit and herbs.  The adult table provided a discussion on basic facts on Earth Day, current environmental and sustainability issues, and executable ideas to create change in the community. 

Youth Health Leadership members discuss Earth Day basic facts, environmental and sustainability issues, and ideas to create change in the community at the adult table.

Commenting on the project and partnership with YHL,  Lewis stated, “We are so thankful that YHL came out to the Earth Day celebration. Watching these young leaders in action was confirmation that the future of our planet is in good hands.” The purpose of Youth Health Leadership, now in its10th year, is to engage youth ages 14-18 in promoting and improving health and wellness through education and action in Tallahassee/Leon County.