By ERIN MCKELLE
There are many public health
conferences that focus on young people, or that center around youth issues, but
very few that actually include the young people’s voices that we are claiming
to uplift as public health professionals.
There are also very few conferences
that emphasize innovation in healthcare, that are pointed towards solutions
rather than discussing problems at length without clear ways of solving them.
These core issues are at the heart of the annual YTH Live conference. Each year (we’re on our twelfth!), we showcase the boldest technologies in health and cutting-edge research in all facets of youth health and wellness. We also have attendees that range from IT professionals to high school students, with over 25% of last year’s attendees and speakers being young people themselves.
YTH’s Communications Coordinator
Erin McKelle has first-hand experience of this. “I first attended YTH Live when
I was a senior in high school. It was the first conference I ever spoke at and
all of my fears about being the only young person in the room were quickly put
to rest, once I saw that YTH plans a youth conference that actually centers
around youth voices,” she says. “I’m proud to now be working for the
organization years later, after serving on the Youth Advisory Board, paying the
mission of youth empowerment forward to the next generation of youth leaders.”
YTH Live 2020 will focus on the
overall health and wellness of youth in the US and around the world, seeking to
understand how innovative technology can be leveraged to improve health
outcomes for all and promote health equity. Whether you are an Executive
Director, developer, or youth advocate, YTH Live can help you learn about the
latest trends in health, innovation, and technology, as well as facilitate
connecting, as we host a networking event each year for our 450+ attendees to
find new partnerships, make new contacts, and share their work with like-minded
professionals in a more focused setting.
If you have an innovative health
technology you’d like to share, interesting research, or a project you’d like
to signal-boost, we invite you to submit a proposal in our open call for
abstracts for next year’s conference. As for tips on what to submit, McKelle
also offers words of wisdom. “We really look for ideas that are centered in
innovation, pushing the envelope on what is normally done in health and
wellness,” Erin advices. “Topically, the Program Committee will be evaluating
proposals that hit all three areas of youth-centered design or impact, health,
and technology,” she explains.
You have until Wednesday, November 6 at 11:59pm PST to submit your proposal, which will then be reviewed by our Program Committee. Learn more about YTH Live and submit your abstract by the 6th! We look forward to seeing your ideas at YTH Live 2020.
Erin McKelle serves as Communications Coordinator at ETR for the YTH initiative.
