Youth Advisory Councils
Michigan Young Parents Advisory Council
Who?
Michigan expectant & parenting youth ages 13-24
What?
members are involved in various youth advocacy efforts throughout the year and use their voices of experience to improve services for expectant & parenting young people across Michigan
recieve chestfeeding and doula training to create a community, peer based culture of support for young parents
undergo leadership develpment
gain communication skills
develop educational materials to normalize infant consumption of, and access to, human milk and advance policies to protect human milk and body feeding
lead trainings for adults who work with expectant and parenting youth
Where?
young people residing in Berrien County
a combination of virtual and in-person meetings
Why?
to ensure youth voice is integral in creating services, programs, and materials that are based on lived experience, which ensures materials are engaging and applicable for expectant and parenting youth
to cultivate a culture of support, peer education, and community connection for expectant and parenting young people in Michigan
Michigan Youth Faith Advisory Council
Michigan Youth of Faith is a new interfaith-based YAC seeking to work towards healing and justice in the areas of faith, sexual and reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ rights.
MY Faith will work with religious institutions, faith-based organizations, queer youth of faith (QYOF), and those who love them across Michigan to address sexual and reproductive health justice in the state. MY Faith provides a space for youth to exist in their queer and/or spiritual identities.
Youth ages 16-24 will participate in sexual and reproductive health advocacy work, healing discussions that seek to bridge the historical and current gap between faith groups and the LGBTQ+ community, and other activities related to these issues as decided by the group.
Michigan Youth Racial Equity Council
MY REC (Michigan Youth Racial Equity Council) is a youth-led project where people between the ages of 13-24 are paid to receive the education, support, opportunities, and resources necessary to become leaders and advocates addressing important issues related to racial justice, sexual health education and services, and reproductive justice. Members must identify as a person of color (BIPOC), be between the ages of 13-24, and live within the state of MI.
Michigan Youth Sexual Health for Adolescents Rooted in Equity
MY SHARE (Michigan Youth Sexual Health for Adolescents Rooted in Equity) informs MOASH's SHARE program which includes sexual health and healthy relationship curriculum review by youth who hold the following identities: rural youth, LGBTQIA+ youth, and youth of color.
Michigan Youth Voice
Who?
Michigan youth ages 16-21 (younger youth may be accepted on a case by case basis)
there is no specific criteria for members within MY Voice, but each year we try to prioritize diversity in different ways
What?
members are involved in various youth advocacy efforts throughout the year and use their voices of experience to improve services for youth across the state
receive training on a variety of sexual health topics
undergo leadership develpment
gain communication skills
work on advocacy efforts
Where?
young people residing anywhere in Michigan are welcome to apply
most meetings are solely offered virtually, but MY Voice has a few in-person meetings throughout the year. If you cannot make it in person, you will be able to attend virtually.
Why?
to inform the services, programs, and materials created for youth by MOASH and other community partners
Teens and Young Adults
Our main goal: To amplify youth voice.
We value your perspective, input, and engagement in our work - and in the fields of sexual and reproductive health and social justice more broadly. Whatever your particular passion area, we hope you'll find information and resources that are helpful to you. Feel free to browse around the site, and if you like the vibe, then consider getting involved with MOASH. This might be signing up as a volunteer or for an internship, subscribing to our monthly newsletter, following our social media, or joining one of our youth advisory councils!
Parents and Supportive Adults
Your child's sexual health education starts with you.
Adult relatives and role models are children's first teachers, so we want to support you! Whether or not you're talking to them explicitly about sex, the values that you share with them set the tone for their future relationships, both with others and with their own bodies and minds. We at MOASH thank you for all you're doing to help guide our young people toward healthy, safe, and satisfying choices! We know that visiting this site shows your commitment to seeking out clear, quality, and accurate sexual health information, and we hope you'll find resources that are helpful to you - whether you've been talking with your kid(s) about sexual health for awhile, or if you're not even sure where to begin. Feel free to browse around the site; if you like what you find, feel free to subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media for regular updates! If you have particular questions, or have difficulty finding any information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by phone or e-mail.
Educators and Providers
We support our teachers and health professionals that are working directly with youth.
Thank you for all the work you do! We know that doctors, nurses, social workers, case managers, health teachers, school staffers, and others are some of the first points of contact for young people with questions about their bodies and relationships. We salute you taking the time to seek out more information on our website in order to be a better resource for your students, clients, or patients! We hope that you'll find resources that are helpful to you, whether you're already an expert in this field or just beginning to look into it. Feel free to browse around the site; if you like what you find, feel free to subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media for regular updates! If you have particular questions, or have difficulty finding any information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by phone or e-mail. We'd also love to hear about the work that you're doing in your community, and we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate to best support the sexual and reproductive health of Michigan's youth.
Advocates and Policy Makers
Healthy youth development: a cause we can all support.
Without you, there's no way we could do what we do! The policies and initiatives you support or reject have a huge impact on young people's access to quality sexual health services and information, both at the local and state levels. We hope that, like us, you recognize the importance of listening to the voices of young people as they advocate for rights and programs that will shape their futures. We appreciate your dedication to remaining well-informed on the issues by checking us out and visiting our website! Feel free to browse around the site; if you missed it, we have a whole section dedicated to advocacy which includes our policy positions on different topics as well as our Michigan legislative trackers. If you like what you find, subscribe to our monthly newsletter for regular updates! If you have particular questions, or have difficulty finding any information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by phone or e-mail. We'd also love to hear about your work and passion projects, and we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate to best support the sexual and reproductive health of Michigan's youth.
Access to Services
Sex Education
Violence Prevention
Focus Areas
MOASH provides technical assistance, training, and presentations on a sliding scale for educators, health professionals, parents, administrators, youth, and more!