Healthy Archuleta is excited to welcome five local youth interns to its Summer Youth Leadership Program. Throughout the internship, these young leaders will participate in an immersive learning experience to explore the connections among food, health, community well-being, and civic engagement while developing valuable leadership and professional skills.
The internship reflects Healthy Archuleta’s commitment to investing in the next generation of community leaders. Through hands-on activities, discussions with local partners, service-learning projects, and community exploration, interns will gain a deeper understanding of the systems that shape life in Archuleta County and the role they can play in creating positive change. Young people bring the spark, creativity, and unique insights needed to tackle today’s challenges. When we genuinely value their voices, we don’t just build better future leaders, we build stronger, more inclusive communities right now.
The program began with an exploration of Healthy Archuleta’s mission and its three guiding pillars: Nutrition Security, Health Equity, and Community Cohesion. Over the coming weeks, interns will embark on a learning journey that introduces them to the many factors that influence community health and resilience. Through conversations and activities, interns will learn about the foundations of community service and discover how local organizations collaborate to address challenges and create opportunities.
From there, interns will explore the power of youth engagement and prevention, examining how young people can serve as leaders, advocates, and changemakers while learning strategies that promote resilience, belonging, and healthy choices. They will also take a closer look at Archuleta County’s food system, tracing the journey of food from farms and gardens to markets, pantries, kitchens, and ultimately community tables. Along the way, they will learn how the local food system can be strengthened to support nutrition security, economic vitality, and community resilience.
As the summer progresses, interns will also learn about mental and behavioral health, primary care, and community wellness, gaining insight into the many ways individuals and organizations support health throughout the community. They will examine the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play, and explore how factors such as housing, transportation, education, income, food access, and social connection influence overall wellbeing.
The internship will also introduce concepts of participatory change and community empowerment, helping youth understand how residents can work together to identify challenges, develop solutions, and shape the future of their communities. Through interactions with local organizations and community leaders, interns will learn about partnership building, collaboration, and the collective efforts required to address complex community issues.
The experience will culminate in a final synthesis and presentation project in which interns will reflect on what they have learned and share their observations, ideas, and recommendations with community members and partners. Throughout the program, interns will strengthen skills in communication, teamwork, critical thinking, leadership, and community engagement. They will also gain exposure to potential career pathways in public health, healthcare, nonprofit leadership, food systems, education, prevention, and community development.
This year’s interns have hit the road running and are already stepping into leadership and taking an active role in shaping their community through a youth-led initiative. Identifying the need for young people in Archuleta County to have a safe, inclusive, healthy, fun space to congregate, the first youth-led event of the summer, “Kickback at the Park,” serves as an introduction to the exciting work that lies ahead.
Kickback at the Park (5:00 to 7:00pm at Yamaguchi Park) has been designed by the youth to bring young people together for an evening of connection, activities, and fun. More than just a summer gathering, Kickback at the Park represents the hard work, creativity, and collaboration that youth partners have invested in creating a welcoming space for their peers.
Healthy Archuleta believes that lasting community change requires voices from every generation. By investing in youth leadership and creating meaningful opportunities for engagement, the organization is helping cultivate the next generation of leaders while strengthening a more connected, resilient, and healthy Archuleta County for years to come.
To learn more about Healthy Archuleta’s efforts, please visit our website or email us at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.