Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115098

Diane Bush, MPH, Labor Occupational Health Program, UC Berkeley, University of California at Berkeley, 2223 Fulton Street, 4th Floor, Berkeley, CA 94720-5120, 510-643-2424, dbush@uclink4.berkeley.edu and Carol Frischman, University of California at Los Angeles, Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program, Hershey Hall Box 951478, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

Many agencies and organizations, including NIOSH, OSHA and APHA, have targeted young workers as a particularly vulnerable population of workers. There is also a growing interest in involving youth as educators and advocates especially in issues that affect young people themselves. In February 2005, the California Partnership for Young Worker Health and Safety, a statewide coalition of 25 organizations and agencies concerned about teens in the workplace, held its first ever “Young Worker Leadership Academy.” Twenty-five youth, attending in teams of 3-6 youth from six different communities throughout California attended the 2-day academy. Through a series of activities, they learned how and why youth are injured at work, discussed other issues that impact youth in the workplace, learned about their rights on the job, and learned how youth can have an impact on public policy, both at the local and state level. By the end of the Academy, each team selected an activity to plan and conduct in their own community, to promote the health and safety of young workers during May 2005. May is “Safe Jobs for Youth Month” in California. Follow-up phone interviews were conducted with Academy participants, to evaluate each team's activity, as well as to assess other ways the Academy had an impact on participants, and to find out what additional resources and training participants need. Several agencies and organizations are considering offering additional academies based on this model.

Learning Objectives: Participants in this session will be able to

• Describe the challenges and benefits of training youth to become workplace health and safety advocates in their communities.
• Describe specific strategies for involving youth in health and safety projects in effective, meaningful ways.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Youth at Work

Related Web page: www.youngworkers.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation