[The following mid-year update was written by the organization and then sent to us for further sharing.]

Thanks to support from the LA2050 Grant Challenge, Peer Health Exchange (PHE) is continuing to advance youth health education in Los Angeles, allowing the organization to foster positive relationships with young people, schools, and the community. The partnership has supported both PHE in-person health curriculum facilitation and digital education initiatives.

During the grant cycle, five Peer Health Facilitator Fellows were hired and trained to deliver health education curriculum to high school students. One Fellow, Kayley Proenza, said, “We work directly with young people to ensure all their awkward questions are being answered, making health education engaging.” The Fellows began facilitating in the fall of 2023, with programs in 16 schools in Inglewood, Watts, Adams, East LA, Highland Park, and San Fernando. A teacher from one of these schools, Mr. Pedroza, reported that PHE Fellow Sophia Garcia was exceptional at connecting with students, and that during Sophia’s sessions, students who were normally quiet shared their thoughts and ideas. So far, Peer Health Exchange’s total in-classroom reach for the 2023-2024 school year is 2,511 young people across Los Angeles.

With support from the grant from LA2050, young people are able to access top resources on topics including mental health, body image, anxiety, addiction, and LGBTQ+ identities via Peer Health Exchange’s web app platform, selfsea.org. On selfsea, users also have access to partner material, including free Headspace memberships and Planned Parenthood resources. The total reach for PHE’s selfsea platform is nearly 4,000 in Los Angeles for this year. (This is a conservative estimate, as not all user location data is available.)

With a history of over two decades in the Southern California region, Peer Health Exchange welcomes the LA2050 goals, directly supporting two of the five goals: LEARN and LIVE. PHE directly supports the LEARN goal by supplementing or providing health education to Los Angeles students, while working hand-in-hand with its Youth Advisory Board to ensure curriculum remains relevant and responsive to the needs of young people. PHE also supports the LA2050 LIVE goal of ensuring all Los Angeles families have access to high-quality health care, by providing access to healthcare resources and education on selfsea.org. The organization also boosts professional development among young people, as PHE Health Facilitator Fellows receive training and mentorship as part of their paid work.

Building a culture of data, learning, and evaluation is one of Peer Health Exchange’s priorities. Staff implement pre and post testing for in-person programming. Pre-testing has been completed and post-testing will begin soon in LA classrooms, gathering feedback from Fellows and youth participants. PHE’s Youth Advisory Board evaluates selfsea through data analysis, user surveys, and qualitative feedback.

Participating in the LA2050 Grants Challenge has helped to elevate PHE’s work in Los Angeles and beyond, raising awareness of our accessible resources and Los Angeles youth wherever they are. For the current program year, Peer Health Exchange will continue to implement workshops at partnering schools through May 2024. PHE will also continue to provide digital health solutions to Los Angeles youth via selfsea.org and the PHE Tiktok channel, which educates users with safe, relatable, inclusive, and engaging content on mental health, relationships, identity, and sexual health, while also sharing resources and uplifting youth voice. Learn more about Peer Health Exchange initiatives at https://www.peerhealthexchange.org/.