CommonHealth ACTION (CHA) received grant funds from the Consumer Health Foundation to plan and implement the Ruttenberg Youth Health Justice Retreat. Youth between the ages of 16 and 19 from Wards 7 and 8 in Washington D.C. participated. The young people were affiliated with Planned Parenthood Youth Advocates, LifeStarts Youth and Family Services, or Sasha Bruce Youthwork programs.

During the weekend, they participated in facilitated activities and experiential learning to increase their understanding of the social determinants of health equity (SDOHE) and to identify ways to incorporate the SDOHE framework into their current health advocacy/justice efforts.

The goals of the retreat were to:

1. To provide youth with a practical understanding of social determinants of health equity;
2. To assist youth to apply social determinants of health principles to the work they do in their communities; and
3. To support youth groups to develop a plan of action to address one social determinant of health in their communities when they return home.

Back to News And Events