Thank you to all who joined us for the inaugural PHIMC Youth Health Conference — what a powerful and inspiring day! Your presence, energy, and voice helped make this event unforgettable.

Why We Gathered

“This conference is more than an event – this is a movement”
– Dr. Dan’iel Kendricks, PHIMC Chief Program Officer, in her opening remarks

At the Youth Health Conference, we came together to:

• Unite young people and their adult allies to address the pressing issues impacting youth health and well-being;

• Empower youth voice and leadership by creating opportunities to showcase talents and lead conversations around holistic health; and

• Highlight and promote innovative youth-centered programs and initiatives, led by youth and community-based organizations that know what works.

At PHIMC, we believe youth are not just the future of public health — they are the present. This event was built with that truth at its core.

Program Highlights

Keynote Speaker Prince Jimmar, Executive Director of Rebels for Peace, inspired us to lead with purpose, courage, and authenticity and reminded us “it’s okay to not be okay”.

Zion Ali kept the energy high as our emcee and headliner, elevating youth voices and breaking stereotypes.

Marshall Callery, host of YouthTalkz, helped uplift youth stories and voices.

Kuumba Lynx poets shared spoken word pieces that lit the stage throughout the day.

Plenary Panel – Rooted in Connection explored substance use, relationships, and youth voice, with heartfelt insights from panelists Melody Martin, KaTerri Kelly, Sharonda Giles, and Iselle Jimenez. Thank you to Tevin Giles, PHIMC Outreach and Prevention Specialist, for moderating the discussion.

Engaging breakout sessions:

• Crisis Prevention and Response Unit, presented by Sharonda Giles (She/Her), Director of Crisis Prevention & Response Unit (CPRU) at Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, and James Mitchell, Regional Field Manager with Crisis Prevention & Response Unit at Metropolitan Family Services

• Chicago Public Schools’ Student Substance Use Focus Group for youth participants only, facilitated by Caroline Roa (She/Her), Mental Health Program Manager: Substance Use at Chicago Public Schools, and Ceci De Leon (They/Them), Health Promotion Grant Coordinator with the Mental Health and Substance Use Team at the Office of Student Health and Wellness at CPS

• Seeing the Unseen: Teen Mental Health Red Flags, presented by Soha Ali, a dedicated high school student and passionate mental health advocate

• From Ideas to Impact: An Interactive Youth Health Research Workshop, presented by Northwestern University’s Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) team: Project Manager Andres Alverado (He/Him), Research Study Coordinator James Foran (He/Him), Research Assistant Kara Toll (She/They), and Research Assistant Bryant Norton (He/Him)

• Supporting Inclusive Strategies for Trans Empowerment & Resilience (SISTER), presented by María Fe Ramírez (She/Her/Ella), Community Health Worker, HIV tester, counselor, and health navigator

• Create Your Vision, Express Yourself, facilitated by Jay Diaz (He/They), Program Coordinator for The Alliance at Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC)

• Growing Safer Communities: Youth Voices on Violence Prevention, presented by Angela Evans, LSW (She/Her), School-Based Therapist with BUILD Chicago, and Saheer Mahmud (She/Her), Community Mental Health Therapist with BUILD Chicago

• Rebel Up! Level Up Your Leadership & Life with a Rebellious Mindset, presented by Logan Griggs-Mitchell (She/Her), Program Manager and Lead SEL Facilitator at Rebels for Peace, and Melina Navarette (She/Her), Bilingual Youth Facilitator & Lead Facilitator at Rebels for Peace

• TikTok Told Me: Deciphering Truth and Myths while Scrolling Online, presented by Rebekah Fenton, Adolescent Medicine Physician at Alivio Medical Center

• Comprehensive & Inclusive Youth Programs for Reproductive Health, presented by Somyiah Nance (She/They/Any), Health Educator and Program Facilitator at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

• Me, my hood, and mental health: Mapping a path to wellness, presented by Dr. Tara Gill (She/Her), Clinical Community Psychologist at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Paulina Arreguin, Yvita Bustos (She/Her), postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the Center for Childhood Resilience at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and Tavaris Kenny (He/Him), Mentorship and Workforce Development Program Assistant at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and first-year student at Malcolm X Community College

• Built by Community, Growing into Leaders, presented by Iselle Jimenez (She/Her), Social Media Administrator for CALOR, and Maricela Lugo

• Broadway Youth Center (BYC)
• Chicago Department of Public Health-Office of School Health
• Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA)
• ConTextos – Chicago
• Illinois Department of Human Services – Rehabilitation Services
• Illinois Youth Survey, Center for Prevention Research and Development at UIUC
• Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
• Lurie Children’s Hospital, Division of Adolescent Medicine
• Northwestern University – Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing
• Palenque LSNA
• Planned Parenthood of Illinois
• Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC)
• Rebels For Peace
• WIN Recovery
• Young Invincibles
• Youth Outreach Services 

Thank You

This event was made possible by the generous support of our funders, sponsors, and the incredible youth leaders on our Conference Youth Committee — Elias Castillo, Cyniyah Cullum, Isabel Gandarilla, Ashley Garcia-Valdivia, Iselle Jimenez, Xitlaly Quintero-Guzman, Hannah Smith, Shaun Moses Tolliver, and Jayla Young — thank you for your brilliance, dedication, and vision.

Funding for this conference was provided in part through the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Block Grant through the American Rescue Plan Act, in part by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and by our sponsors, ViiV Healthcare and Quatrro Business Support Services.