At Youth Solutions, we work with Michigan’s youth to inspire them to achieve their fullest potential in education and employment. Part of this work is to provide our young people the chance to explore potential career options or postsecondary education opportunities, which we wouldn’t be able to do without our partners. It is through these partnerships that we are able to make a real impact on the lives of Michigan’s youth. Spectrum Health is one of those partners that is dedicated to helping us inspire and connect youth to achieve a future beyond imagination.
Over the past several years, Spectrum Health has supported our organization and the work we do to serve Michigan’s youth in many ways. Spectrum Health has been a part of enhancing our mission through event sponsorship of two of our annual events: Legislative Days and the Career Development Conference (CDC). Our annual youth-focused events allow us to provide experiences and opportunities for skills development that help our youth prepare for their futures.
Spectrum Health Lakeland also recently helped 20 Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) youth gain hands-on experience working in different clinical and nonclinical settings to explore careers in health care through the GROWTH Internship Program they created.
In addition to helping youth explore career options, individuals from Spectrum Health Lakeland have helped us raise the youth voice by co-moderating Coffee with a Purpose discussions. Dr. Lynn Todman, Vice President of Health Equity at Spectrum Health Lakeland co-moderated an impactful discussion in May 2021, with a panel of JMG youth, on the growing challenge of mental health in the lives of young people. Terri Albers, Population Health Specialist at Spectrum Health Lakeland, is excited to co-moderate our next Coffee with a Purpose Discussion on February 16 about the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; how it affects our youth today and how it is shaping their hopes for the future. This will be our first hybrid Coffee with a Purpose where youth will be in person at the Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan and the audience will be virtual. To watch this impactful conversation virtually, register here.
We are grateful for the continued support from Spectrum Health in support of the youth we serve. Without the support and generosity of organizations like Spectrum Health, we wouldn’t be able to impact as many youth around the state and help them succeed in education, employment, and in life.
To learn more about how you can support the work of Youth Solutions, please visit our website, https://www.ouryouthsolutions.org/get-involved.