Cultivating Healthy Transportation Youth Leaders through VideoVoice

Since 2009, Cal Walks Youth Leaders have been working with California Walks to lift up resident voices for healthier communities through VideoVoice—a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) tool where youth, older adults, and other community members self-select and collect video data on existing health and safety conditions, identify importance, articulate desired outcomes, with roles they and others play in achieving desired change. Youth Leaders have travelled across the state to peer-mentor and train—via workshops, conferences, and webinars (in English and Spanish)—other youth, older adults, public health practitioners, and community members in VideoVoice technique and best practices. VideoVoice is a powerful, easily understandable communication strategy—by youth, for youth—that cultivates sustainable leadership in advocacy for healthy, safe, and equitable communities. Cal Walks Youth Leaders’ work has served as a catalyst for healthier communities where all can share in solving daily challenges.

In this session, Youth Leaders will present VideoVoice vignettes cataloguing how they initially became involved with Cal Walks, why they work with Cal Walks, what they’ve experienced traveling statewide mentoring youth and adults, what community successes have occurred, and how the Cal Walks Youth Leaders program has influenced their future career paths.