No one is too young to fight for climate justice
Fifteen-year-old Rylee Brooks is a meticulous planner who founded a youth-led nonprofit, is an ambassador for an environmentally-conscious organization, and is a plaintiff in a youth-led climate lawsuit against Hawaii's Department of Transportation. While growing up on the island of O'ahu in Hawaii, Brooks would catch fish with her brother, take them home to learn about them, and return to the beach to release the fish back into the ocean. This family tradition has motivated her to protect bodies of water for future generations.Read her profile in Prism's "Imagining Our Futures" series →
NYC students lead the way in tackling air pollution
Low income communities of color in New York City face the poorest air quality, impacting more than one million students every day. To address this disparity, students at the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics (BCSM) are participating in a study where they collect and monitor real-time air quality data using low-cost sensors. Another school, Cristo Rey New York High School in Harlem, has partnered with a local university to study the impact of air quality on academic performance around the city. These kinds of school-based projects empower students to study systemic health inequities, gain a deeper understanding of their local environment, and gather data for schools in need.Read more from palabra. →
Crushing medical debt prevents millions of Americans from staying healthy
More than 100 million Americans have medical debt, with $88 billion in collections. Black Voice News reports that more than half of Californians avoided or delayed health care due to costs last year, citing research conducted by the California Health Care Foundation and the NORC at the University of Chicago. Kairis Joy Colter-Chiaji, whose daughter recently lost her other parent to cancer and couldn't afford treatment before his passing, said "I think that's the pinnacle of what happens when you don't have [health] insurance and have to make those kinds of [life-changing] decisions, where taking care of yourself isn't an option."
Read more about how medical debt impacts individuals, families and communities →
Meet the Game Changers
Highlighting the innovators transforming health outcomes in our communities
Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota) is an award-winning chef and founder of the Indigenous Food Lab (IFL) in Minneapolis. IFL is a kitchen, research center and retail market dedicated to re-establishing Native foodways and promoting Indigenous culture