Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/63981
program, but most in this group—all but two, to be exact—have returned for a sec- ond year of work with the program. They've gotten to know each other well, hood with the right tools in their back pocket. "Feeling empowered to advocate for and as they review previous workshops— like their turn in front of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's first-year students—they offer each other candid feedback while evaluating any insights or questions they received from attendees. In some of these meetings, they review highlights from the initial training they received. From lessons in public speaking, the facts of medically accurate sex education, and a primer on Wisconsin law as it relates to health care rights, the group has become well versed in the subjects at hand. But where the workshops really makes its yourself can translate to so many areas of your life," says 19-year-old teen educa- tor Elizabeth Wendt, the first college teen educator of the group. "We're concerned with sexual health, because I would say that's the area teens are least likely to open up about. I think if you give doctors and teenage patients the tools to talk about the most sensitive topics, they're going to be able to talk about the easy topics with the same techniques." It's a message that many are eager to impact is in the stories that go beyond what Olejniczak can teach them—their per- sonal insights and experiences that, when shared, leave a lasting impact on the groups they present to. Feeling empowered to advocate for yourself can translate to so many areas of your life. Elizabeth Wendt grounds and experiences. Some are prod- ucts of others are from single-parent households. Several have grown up in homes where topics normally covered in sex ed are easy to discuss, while others couldn't imagine asking their parents such questions. Some bring experiences as heartbreaking—and powerful—as homelessness and abuse. Whatever their background and layers These teens come from a variety of back- two-parent households, while hear. WAHCCP teen educators have pre- sented at statewide conferences, to youth groups both close to home and as far as Appleton—and more presentations are on the horizon. A program run by the nonprofit WAWH, funding is tight. Olejniczak has been work- ing tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the program alive. Her work has paid off, re- cently securing a $50,000 grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health to evaluate for program effectiveness. For now, it's enough to keep the pro- gram alive—along with Olejniczak's goal of sending a generation of teens into adult- hood ready to speak out for their own health needs. "We know that with teens, the more knowledge they have, the more that knowledge impacts their behavior," Ole- jniczak says. "We can't just tell them to change [a certain behavior] and expect that to happen. It's changed by empowering them to change it themselves." Nearly two hours after class began, the teen educators bring their interactive teaching session to an end. The med students quickly pack their of life experience they carry, each of the teens also brings a voice. With the help of WAHCCP, Olejniczak wants to ensure that health providers hear, and understand, all the perspectives. "These are real teens, and what makes them real is what we share with health care providers," Olejniczak says. "Some of it is uncomfortable. But we need to talk about it rather than ignore it, and there's nobody better to talk about it than the teens them- selves." The teens also say they see a bigger pic- ture for their work that goes beyond just sexual health. "It's about so much more than your body," says 17-year-old teen educator Aronji Fields. To them, it's about moving into adult- 62 BRAVA Magazine March 2012 bags and head out the door, but the teens linger alongside Olejniczak. Munching on homemade cookies, they talk about how the small-group sessions they just fin- ished went. As they take a moment to re- flect, their faces already show how they feel about the day; they're proud. "Watching the light in their eyes when they realize that they were the presenter, and how powerful their voices are, how much they have to share and to give," Ole- jniczak says. "It's so rewarding to see that happen. It's so rewarding to know that our program gives them an outlet to do that." The message of these teens is that they can be allies, but only if they're given the chance to truly be heard. All it takes is opening up the conversation. So, kids these days? What great teachers they can be. •••