CHANGE Lab

Thank you to everyone in the CHANGE Lab for making the Fall 2024 semester so great! We have much to celebrate this season! First, thank you to our new Butterflies, Aminata Kante and Diego Pacheco, who joined us this semester!! You've been a wonderful addition to the team. We are sadly saying goodbye to Cayla Huang, who is graduating from Northeastern this semester. Congratulations, Cayla, on your many achievements and Photovoice Capstone project! We wish you luck on your future endeavors. Congratulations to Elizabeth Hill, as well, for completing her first Co-op as the Lab's Health Equity and Technology Researcher. She will be continuing as a Lab Affiliate in the Spring. Next, thank you to the faculty, staff, and students who have worked effortlessly on Project CPA, THRIVE, YAB, WARMTH, LIGHT & STAR. Additionally, we've had a great semester working with our community partner organizations, OYEA and Boston Public Schools. Thank you to the OYEA team for the opportunity to collaborate on the Youth Speaks Boston Surveys! And thank you to Boston Public Schools for your continued partnership with the CHANGE Lab. We look forward to the exciting things happening in the near future. The CHANGE Lab would like to congratulate the achievements of Anthony Trinidad and Laila Harruna for their PEAK Award and for presenting at the APHA Conference. Congratulations to Mia Cain for also receiving a PEAK Award and to Gloria, Cayla, and Vandya for presenting at the NEPA Conference. Finally, thank you, Dr. Idia Thurston, the CHANGE Lab's PI, for leading and supporting this team. Your dedication is an inspiration to us all!! 🦋 👏

Two CHANGE Lab research assistants, Laila Harruna and Anthony Trinidad, presented their research at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo in Minneapolis earlier in October. They presented their abstract titled “An Examination of Multi-Level Predictors of Youth Social Competence.” Feel free to read the abstract below and contact Laila or Anthony for further correspondence!    We’re so proud of Anthony and Laila for accomplishing this extraordinary and meaningful achievement! We’d also like to thank the Northeastern University Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Office, Northeastern University, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, the NU IHESJR, and everyone in the CHANGE Lab for supporting Anthony and Laila throughout this process!

TURN YOUR VOICE INTO ACTION. The Youth Speaks Boston (YSB) survey is now collecting ideas to tell us what young people in Boston are experiencing and what support they feel is most important. SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE TODAY! Take part in Youth Speaks Boston – the first-ever citywide youth needs assessment to focus on Boston residents ages 14 to 25 during afterschool and after-work hours! You or anyone you know ages 14-25 who lives in Boston is eligible to take the survey and help us shape future policies, programs, and resources. Submit your response to https://lnkd.in/ea3YnjQF or visit boston.gov/youthspeaks for more information!

We are excited to share this special issue from the APA on racial equity. CHANGE Lab PI, Dr. Idia Thurston, was interviewed for an article featured in this issue titled "How psychological science can advance racial equity" by Author, Alyson Powell Key. The published article can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eXieJvkS.

Last week, the CHANGE Lab participated in the Northeastern SOURCE fair! We were excited to highlight our vision and mission with the Northeastern community.    We met with many students who were enthusiastic about the lab and we're looking forward to recruiting for the Spring '24 semester!    Students who are interested are encouraged to visit our website and fill out the interest form here: https://lnkd.in/eeyAbnmf

The CHANGE Lab has a history of championing against weight stigma. Our past publications and projects highlight the dangerous effects of weight stigma against adolescents. Like much of our current work, our work on weight stigma hopes to close the gaps in research, using a strengths-based approach to spotlight the assets of these communities.    This week, the CHANGE Lab is highlighting Weight Stigma Awareness Week (9/23-9/27). This is an initiative that empowers and advocates for individuals to embrace their differences despite societal stereotypes. The time is now to end weight stigma and support humans of all sizes. Weight Stigma Awareness Week has several educational and advocacy resources that they have shared, we recommend you visit their website to learn more about how to get involved: https://lnkd.in/g_HHQj9B   #WeightStigmaAwarenessWeek #WSAW24 #WSAW

We're #hiring a Community Engagement Coordinator to join our growing team at City of Boston OYEA! This individual will support OYEA by serving as the liaison between the Office and the communities served. They will lead the work of YouthLine — OYEA's youth resource hub — connecting constituents to a wide variety of resources, events, and services offered both internally and externally by the office. The Coordinator will represent OYEA across different community events and meetings and serve as a direct link between our office and its constituents. Interested? Read more and apply below!

Are you an undergraduate student passionate about advancing health equity and social inclusion and reducing health disparities? Are you seeking opportunities to conduct meaningful research towards these goals and develop your research skills? Look no further - our Health Equity Internship is the program for you! Applications for the Spring 2025 cycle open on September 30th. Email [email protected] or visit the link in our bio to learn more!

CHANGE Lab is thrilled to be working with the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement on this project! Thank you for dropping by, it was great to have you all!

We're excited to announce a new publication from Pediatric Clinics on North America. Check it out at https://lnkd.in/dzaP8k2n!! The CHANGE Lab's head butterfly and PI, Dr. Idia Thurston, co-authored the article "Anti-Racism, Heterosexism, and Transphobia: Strategies for Adolescent Health Promotion Post-COVID", along with Rebecca L. Fix PhD, and Elizabeth Getzoff Testa Phd. Click the link to read more! https://lnkd.in/d3V_MX2f