Engaging Student Journalists to Promote Health Awareness

Information is power, helping people to make the right decisions. At Quest, our data reveals insights which empowers better health.  Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) is also empowering better health by supporting a group of aspiring health journalists.

Healthy NewsWorks (HNW) empowers elementary and middle school students in underserved communities to become researchers, writers, critical thinkers, and confident communicators who advance health understanding and literacy through their factual publications and digital media.

Through the program, student health journalists learn how to ask questions, identify factual information, write accurately, think critically, and share what they’ve learned. Their work is published in health-focused newspapers, books, and digital media that are distributed in their schools and communities, and on a health-focused website for all to access.

“The work we do is very important, both to our aspiring reporters as well as to the young people who read their content,” said Marian Uhlman, Executive Director of Healthy NewsWorks. “Quest’s support of this program not only helps to promote the work of future journalists, but it helps to inform young people in underserved communities of the importance of making healthy choices whenever possible.”

Quest for Health Equity has provided a grant to help build the program’s capacity so it can deepen its impact in its existing partner schools and expand to more schools and communities in the Philadelphia area and beyond. The grant will support additional opportunities for young reporters to publish articles, illustrations, and videos that address the health issues important to them and their communities.

Q4HE is a wide-ranging initiative to address and reduce health disparities in underserved communities, including those impacted by COVID-19. The multi-year initiative provides a combination of donated testing services, education programs, partnerships, and funding to support initiatives to close the gap in healthcare disparities in underserved communities.

“We are proud to collaborate with Healthy NewsWorks to support their mission to address literacy and health in underserved populations,” said Mandell Jackson, General Manager/Vice President of Q4HE.

“These student journalists are empowered to become messengers, educators, and role models for healthy behaviors among their peers, families, and neighbors.”

Quest’s support will also enable HNW to grow their new By Kids For Kids health news service that features content by kids in elementary and middle school. Teachers and parents can also access a companion site with lessons, activities, and videos to encourage student and community engagement. Over the past 18 years, Healthy NewsWorks has worked with thousands of children to teach health literacy while also developing their leadership, critical thinking and communications skills through journalism.

“Being involved in Healthy NewsWorks has really had an impact on my life. It has taught me about constructive criticism, time management, and public speaking. I also learned how to partner with others to get the job done. I had to have all these skills as a reporter. But now I use these skills every day, and they help me be a successful person in general. I don’t think I could’ve ever done this without Healthy NewsWorks.” — eighth grade HNW student

Quest is honored to team up with HNW to support this unique program that promotes journalism as a way to educate students about health issues and healthy lifestyles. To learn more about HNW, visit www.healthynewsworks.org