filipinx student wellbeing conference youth contingency internship

"Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference: Youth Contingency" Internship

Youth Contingency 2022 Interns, Christian S. & Jesa R. co-hosting the 1st annual "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference." Photographed by Michelle Lapitan (2022).

About the Program

"The "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference" is an annual youth-led, mental health education event organized by a YOUTH CONTINGENCY composed of past and present Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship interns. Established in 2022, this paid, semester-long internship, Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference: Youth Contingency leaders engage in various project-based learning activities to determine the wellness needs of SFUSD's Filipino & Filipina/o/x American high school population and create humanizing learning spaces in the form of a conference. We aim to create opportunities for Filipina/o/x and Filipina/o/x American identified high schoolers to discuss topics related to Filipinx cultural values, identity, and mental health stigma while centering the student experience.

ELIGIBILITY
-10th/11th/12th grade
-Identifies as Filipino or Filipina/o/x American
-Enrolled at an SFUSD High School
-Currently enrolled or graduated from the Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship program

The Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference:Youth Contingency Internship is a program of the Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco and San Francisco Unified School District's Office of College & Career Readiness. We are honored to be a 2022 “SEL in Action” award recipient of the NoVo Foundation & Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

1st Annual "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2022" Highlights

1st annual "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2022" Photographed by Michelle Lapitan.

Maraming Salamat to our workshop facilitators for the 1st Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2022! Learn more about them here.

Testimonials

"After attending the first-ever Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference, as well as being part of the group that contributed to the planning, I learned there really are adults genuinely willing to know how to reach out to their children and help them [with] their mental health. Attending this conference reassured me that Filipinos are really still about "unity". It reminded me that we, Filipinos. are still willing to help each other out and be there for each other as a community when needed. To say that the conference and its planning was successful is an understatement!" -Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference:Youth Contingency Intern

“The youths’ talambuhay (stories of their life) helped me remember that even through trauma and suffering is [passed] down to us we are still deserving of love. Our trauma does not define us and we are in charge of our own narratives. I saw the healing of generational trauma right before my eyes. Y'all are everything that embodies Ethnic Studies and more. Through your presentation, I learned that many Filipinos are bounded by the word ‘family’ and the idea of it, so much that they sacrifice their own well-being for them. I learned that it is possible to build your own idea of family and you get to choose who is your family and who you allow into your community.” -Adult Ally Attendee-Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference, 2022)

"By playing an active role in the conference, I learned how to face the things that were taking a toll on my mental and spiritual health rather than avoiding them. I think a lot of the topics we touched on were some things that really needed to be addressed in the Filipinx community. When I was presenting, I felt like I was relearning the topics I was going over. I got a deeper dive into Filipinx culture and history. I felt that through our connection and culture, we are capable of building something bigger than ourselves. Speaking about it to others who can relate to me made me feel like I let go of a heavy weight that was weighing me down and kind of preventing me from growing. By hearing some feedback from the adults who attended my presentation I learned about the importance of community. It was very comforting when I was hearing everybody’s stories and support. It felt as though I knew them my whole life. I feel like I’ve never felt that amount of support from anybody. It was powerful." - Buong Loob Intern & Youth Facilitator-Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference, 2022

Maraming Salamat to our co-sponsors and community partners of the 1st annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2022.
Bayani Art, Filipino American Development Foundation, Kababayan SFUSD, Magically Masiram, SFUSD’s Office of College and Career Readiness, San Francisco State University’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Student Services, and RAMS Asian and Pacific Islander Mental Health Collaborative.

Meet our Team

Program Development

lozadah@sfusd.edu

Harvey Lozada, ACSW, PPSC (he/him/his)

Harvey Lozada is a fourth-generation FRISCOPINO. He is an educator, community worker, healer, filmmaker, photographer, and visual storyteller. Harvey’s healing journey began with community activism and engaging young people in the juvenile justice system. For over 18 years, he has dedicated his life to disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline through youth leadership development and culturally responsive counseling services for children and families throughout San Francisco. Harvey currently serves as a Transition Specialist at the San Francisco County Office of Education and Woodside Learning Center in San Francisco Unified School District. He is a core member at the Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco and co-founder of the "Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship" and "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference: Youth Contingency Internship" programs.

verma@bayanihancc.org

Verma Soria Zapanta, M.Ed (she/her)

Verma Soria Zapanta is a mental health educator, holistic wellness practitioner, and proud San Francisco native. Prior to delving into mental health and holistic wellness work, Verma was a high school Ethnic Studies History teacher in SFUSD, LAUSD, and taught/mentored graduate students in teacher education programs at UCLA and St. Mary’s College. She has over 17 years of experience in curriculum design, instructional coaching, and implementing school-wide educational frameworks that combine college-focused academics, rigorous technical education, work/project-based learning, and personalized student support. Verma is one of the Program Coordinators at the Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco (FMHI-SF), is a Youth & Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and serves asthe Assistant Director of Pin@y Educational Partnerships. She is the co-founder of the "Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship" and "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference: Youth Contingency Internship" programs.

Community Partners

(t) 415-355-4578 (e) sanjoset@sfusd.edu

Tiffany E. San Jose, MSW

Education Specialist, Work-Based Learning
College & Career Readiness
San Francisco Unified School District

https://www.sfusd.edu/departments/college-and-career-readiness

Kababayan SFUSD

Kababayan SFUSD is an organization of Filipinx/a/o educators in San Francisco. Our organization aims to:

Support the academic success and social-emotional well-being of Filipinx students
Improve the educational standards of the school system through the professional advancement of Kababayan members through leadership development, professional development, professional support, and networking.
Facilitate a firm connection to the Filipinx culture and the Philippines by fostering cultural events and programs, supporting local efforts to preserve the culture, and sponsoring initiatives connecting its members with other Filipinx educators in the region, state, country, and in the Philippines.
Unite Filipinx teachers and education workers within San Francisco Bay Area and the San Francisco Unified School District and align with other educators, education groups, alliances, and federations who share similar interests in advancing the interest of Filipinx students and other marginalized youth

https://sites.google.com/sfusd.edu/kababayan-sfusd/home

SFUSD Office of College and Career Readiness

Within SFUSD’s Division of Curriculum and Instruction, the Office of College and Career Readiness (CCR) provides direct services to students and supports teachers and counselors to increase the likelihood of students’ postsecondary success in college and career.

https://www.sfusd.edu/departments/college-and-career-readiness

Ways to Show Your Support
Monetary or In-Kind Donations

Lay a donation via Paypal, Flipcause, or Venmo and add the note "BUONG LOOB." For in-kind donations (i.e.: school supplies, snacks, etc.), please contact Verma Zapanta (verma@bayanihancc.org). Buong Loob Internship Programs are sponsored by the Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco, a program of the Filipino American Development Foundation (501c3). Donations are tax-deductible. Maraming Salamat!