Who We Are
The Youth Advisory Board is a student run, University
of Minnesota sponsored organization. It is composed of students
between the ages of 14 and 19.
What We Do
Our primary role is to advise the Pediatrics and Adolescent Health Department of the University of Minnesota. We work on various projects with members of the department by providing an adolescent-view and opinion on the health issues researched by the department. We let them in on what it's like to be a teen, and what some of the finer points of adolescent perception are. One of our main focuses is working on finding better ways on reaching the adolescent community with relevant health and medical information in a way that does not reek of "brainwashing".
Apart from serving the department, YAB also works on individual projects.
Currently we are working on a publication that will be distributed in the
Twin Cities during the summer of '98. the publication will be free
and aimed at teens. It will contain relevant info on getting medical
help, info, support, etc as a teen. The rights adolescents have as
far as medical confidentiality laws go will also be discussed. But
perhaps the most important part of the publication will be a section devoted
to the clinics in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis / St.Paul) -- places that
offer adolescent treatment, confidential, low cost STD and pregnancy testing.
Places to get birth control and so on. This web page will contain much
of the same information and much, much more!!
Why We Do What We Do
Basically to provide a better understanding of how adolescents view
medicine, and to help get medical information out to teens to help them
help themselves.
How You Can Help
Any feedback we get from you is priceless. It is your opinions
and advice that will help us make this a sucessful project. So, tell
us what you think about what you see here. Tell us what you think
we can do to make these pages better. Let us know if there is something
that you would like to see us answer for you (i.e. a clinic profile in
the Twin Cities, a medical topic, a legal issue). We'll do all we
can!
Wanna Join??
If you are between the ages of 16 and 19, live in the Twin Cities and think you might be interested in joining YAB, fill out an application!! Download one of the files below, print, and fil it out. Or e-mail us with your name and snail-mail address and we'll get one out to you the old fashioned way. :)