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Youth Advisory Group
Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing
Our Stanford Center’s Youth Advisory Group is a group of young people who represent diversity across race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, lived expression, ability and socio-economic status. They are passionate about affecting change and connecting with other youth to increase access to mental health care.
As youth advisors, they serve as community advocates with a focus on raising awareness, reducing stigma, encouraging young people to seek help early, and educating the larger community about youth mental health. They do this through community education and school-based activities and events, listening sessions, social media engagement, and participation in youth-led projects, such as allcove, the youth media review project and #GoodforMEdia.
Applications are due by October 31
Meet our Southern San Mateo County Youth Advisors
Why were you interested in getting involved?
Pogisa
she/her/hers
I was immediately drawn to Southern San Mateo Youth Advisory Group because of its mission to aid youth in my community who are highly impacted by mental health issues. As an advocate for mental health, I am motivated to help other youth access resources to allow them to heal and grow.
Rachel
she/her/hers
I heard of this group through StarVista HAP-Y program I'm a part of and would like to continue the advocacy and education work I've done with mental health to reach as many people as possible and change the stigma around mental health so people can get the help they need.
Everardo
he/him/his
I really enjoy being able to help people and helping them fell less afraid of learning more about themselves and I thought it would be a great idea to join Youth Advisory Group in order to try and do that.
Alice
she/her/hers
What drew me to the Youth Advisory Group was the idea of being able to broadcast and educate others.
Mia
she/hers, they/them
I was drawn to the Southern San Mateo County Youth Advisory Group because I am interested in working to destigmatize talking about mental health for youth and add more representation to the mental health community.
Isabela
she/her/hers
I was drawn to the Southern San Mateo County Youth Advisory Group because of its reach to underserved communities and emphasis on youth voice.
Lily
she/her/hers
I love helping my community, especially from a mental health aspect. Not only that but sharing my story and being able to connect with others is key to our mental health.
Rose
she/her/hers
I feel the need to make a difference for my peers who have suffered during the crisis and who now faced increased mental health issues.
Yvette
she/her/hers
HAP-Y is something similar and our coordinator told us about it, so I was really interested in getting involved.
Samantha
she/her/hers
I was drawn to the Youth Advisory Group because I am interested in learning more about mental health and the issues that impact and are important to youth. There is a lot of stigma around mental health, even though it is an important topic that affects everyone's daily lives. I think that this is an opportunity to change the mindset around mental health and an opportunity for me to contribute back to my community and to be a part of positive change.
Melissa
she/her/hers
I was intrigued to join the Southern San Mateo Youth Advisory Group because I want to continue the fight for the de-stigmatization of mental illness and health. It is important to talk to other teens, spread awareness, and educate older generations on what mental wellbeing truly is. And through this advisory group, I think there is an exponentially better shot at creating a safe space for talking about mental wellbeing for everyone!
Emma
she/her/hers
I've been super passionate about mental health from a young age, and I thought it would be an amazing way to become more involved in addressing and trying to solve issues surrounding mental health in our community.
Yessar
she/her/hers
I'm interested in debunking misconceptions around mental health and providing representation for thoughts that haven't been voiced yet or that are uncommon. I'm excited to be part of this group and am looking forward to participating in it!
Kate
she/her/hers
I've dealt with my fair share of mental illness growing up. I'm now at the point in my life where I want to use what I've learned from my experience for the benefit of others. I was drawn to the Southern San Mateo County Youth Advisory Group because being a part of it will give me the opportunity to reach out to those in need and encourage them to seek help. Being a part of the program will also provide me with the opportunity to speak out about mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding it, which is something that is incredibly important to me.
Farrah
she/her/hers
I heard about the opportunity to join the Southern San Mateo County Youth Advisory Group through a connection at StarVista. Once I browsed through the different projects listed on the website, I knew I had to join - There's something so powerful about a team of youth working together to address issues related to mental health!