The Community Action Model Youth Leadership Project (CAM YLP) engages Bay Area youth, ages 18–24, who are interested in improving community health and making a positive change in San Francisco communities. Through the program, youth identify the inequities caused by Big Tobacco in low-income communities. in their communities — for instance, the high density of liquor stores and advertisements promoting unhealthy behavior — as well as their deep value and beauty, which is often overlooked, exploited, and erased by those in power.
As they develop the language and framing to share their experiences and confront damaging policies, systems, and environments, youth develop the tools to become powerful advocates for themselves and their communities. Youth will be able to apply their skills of analysis via health and social justice issues, and their identity, professional, and academic development, to other projects in their personal and professional lives. Following the yli model for youth development, the youth plan and conduct their own research, and work directly with local decision-makers to offer policy recommendations that improve conditions for the city’s youth.
For the past 2 CAM cycles, youth leaders researched price promotions — marketing ploys that the tobacco industry uses to circumvent minimum price laws and entice people to purchase their products. The campaigns have been built on 7+ years of work and significant milestones, shared in the CAM and TURF blog posts. For more information, visit our website!
Interested in joining?
The program is open to all transitional age (18-24) youth in the Bay Area. Applications are open now!
Applications are open now until Aug 31, 2022. Please reach out to Natasha Zastko (she/her) [email protected] with any questions.
