On Tuesday, a sea of red advanced upon the Capitol Rotunda as 200 people, mostly high school students in red t-shirts, chanted “We are the Advocates for SHCs!” School Health Centers (SHC) are like a doctor’s office within a school, and are predominantly located in underserved areas. On School Health Center Advocacy Day, students from across the state traveled to Springfield to advocate for school health center funding.
The event was organized by the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers (ICSHC), a project of Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition. Last year alone, SHCs in Illinois saw over 97,000 visits for medical, mental, oral health, and health education services. The students in Springfield asked that the state maintain funding for SHCs and continue its commitment to improve student health and academic success.
”My school health center has helped me get through school,” said Sergio Hernandez, a student at Uplift Community High School in Chicago (pictured above) and a member of ICSHC’s Youth Advisory Council addressed the group. “I feel lucky that my school has a school health center and I hope that someday more students have access to these resources.”
Can't wait for the bashing I get for this post if it gets posted.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it sounds like adults using children to forward a political agenda.
Sergio does not hav any clue what got him through school, if that is even true. He probably just got through school because he wanted to.
Maybe I should go back to gran-pappy.
Your comments reek of arrogance "Captain Picard 2015."
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree, Cap'n. There are certainly very socially and politically aware students. I worked on political campaigns from 7th grade on, and in high school I was sending petitions to state reps about voting issues. (Trust me, I was not the pawn of any adult... my parents were, and remain, appalled by my political and social opinions!)
ReplyDeleteI applaud any high school kid -- or any person, period -- who looks outside of him or herself to see the bigger picture.
Certainly given the beatdowns and gunshots that have taken place at school closing time during the past week, I especially applaud a student going to school in those surroundings for looking outside of that environment and trying to effect some positive changes.
First, UU actually posted a positive Uplift piece. Good on 'em and please keep it up.
ReplyDeleteSecond, Cap P, most of the kids I know are indeed capable of grasping the subtleties of their education, their environment, and their world.
Longfellow captures it succinctly: "The thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts." If we lose hope regarding the young and what is going on in their hearts and minds... including how discerning they are of forces at play in their lives... we lose hope, period. And we can't afford that, can we?