Five teenagers sit around a table in a small office in a Dundee home, two others in a neighboring room. While the larger group of first-year interns research survey methods, the research advisors work on coding past responses. Four of these seven are Central students, including Sabina Eastman (11), Bella Filips (12), and Elm Quintana (10).
These students work for the Women’s Fund of Omaha as part of a youth participatory internship, analyzing the success of the Adolescent Health Project. This project aims to lower the astronomically high STD rates that plague Omaha, as well as create an inclusive, non-stigmatizing environment in which youth and young adults are encouraged to seek sexual and reproductive health services.
“Mainly, we do research. We pose a research question as a group and collect data in hopes that what we learn from it can help different communities and can help make services more inclusive”, says Filips.
Eastman adds, “Being a research assistant has more to do with reviewing the research and finalizing the data to finalize the data and reach the organizations that we work with”.
This is the second year of the youth participatory internship’s operation. Last year, the interns conducted research on encouraging and discouraging factors regarding STD testing within youth. This year, they are focusing more on outreach and if it is sufficiently reaching marginalized and underrepresented groups as well as people within the faith community.
There is a consensus among the group that youth voices are often undermined in sexual and reproductive health issues, despite the fact that they are the main group affected by them. “Adults tend to discredit us but it’s important not to give up, it’s rare being a teenager whose opinion is actually sought after”, said Filips. “I think this internship does an outstanding job of listening to our opinions, while also allowing us to be presented in a way in which we are represented and valued.”
“It’s very encouraging to know that our work is going to positively affect people”, added Quintana.
Each Central intern and RA plans on continuing work within the sexual and reproductive health realm in their future plans. Filips plans on going into gynecology, Quintana would like to continue their work once they move back to Los Angeles this summer, and Eastman plans on continuing on the Adolescent Health Project until she goes off to college.
“We are way more informed than most adults think that we are. We just need the right people to listen to us and that way, things will improve.”, says Filips.