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Highlight Video
​​3rd Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2024 
April 27, 2024 at San Francisco State University's College of Ethnic Studies

Highlight video created by Kuya Alvin Dizon (2024).

"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

Established in 2022, the "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference" (FSWC) is a mental health education event for Filipino & Filipina/o/x American-identified high schoolers in the San Francisco Bay Area. FSWC is an annual event planned, organized, and facilitated by a collective of students who make up our Youth Contingency Internship. Members of the Youth Contingency are enrolled in a semester-long paid internship and participate in various project-based learning activities to determine the wellness needs of SFUSD's Filipino & Filipina/o/x American high school population. Interns will use their research findings to plan our annual "Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference," a youth-led mental health education event organized in conjunction with participants of the Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship.

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. 

​Applicants for the Youth Contingency Internship must be a current Buong Loob intern or graduated from a previous cohort. Students have the option to enroll and attend both internships simultaneously.

[Updated Aug 2024] Applications for the Spring 2025 Youth Contingency will be released by October 2024. Complete our STUDENT INTEREST FORM to be contacted for future opportunities to work with us.

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

Meet our Team

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Program Development

[email protected]

 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.

[email protected]

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 15 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), a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and serves as the 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.

Young Adult Ally (Y.A.A.) Interns 2024

Meet our Young Adult Ally (Y.A.A.) Interns of Spring 2024. Y.A.A. Interns are Buong Loob Alumni​ and proud SFUSD high school graduates, who are interested in pursuing careers in the fields of mental health, holistic wellness, and/or education. Y.A.A. Interns support the Buong Loob community with classroom facilitation, peer mentorship, and more!

Allanah Francine Guevara (she/her)
Buong Loob Alumni, class of 2022

Allanah Guevara is a second-generation daughter of Filipino immigrants from the island of Luzon born and raised in Ramaytush Ohlone territory. With her love for the arts, she spends most of her time drawing and looking for inspiration within nature and her daily life to express herself. Allanah graduated from Balboa High School and is currently a student at the City College of San Francisco. Her dream is to be able to help others in their healing process physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

What does mental health meant to you?
 Mental health goes on par with all aspects of our health. Tending to one's mental health is a very fundamental act for balancing all of our health needs. If one component of our overall health is falling behind, then it affects the entirety of our well-being and spirit. The normalization and building of safe spaces to speak on wellness and mental health is crucial to not only the Filipinx community but also Black and Brown communities altogether. To create harmony and make our way towards unity, we need to learn how to heal and care for one another. Through this process, we can break cycles of pain and trauma and collectively help others through their struggles.

Annika Franco (she/her)
Buong Loob Alumni, class of 2023

Annika Franco is an alumni and Young Adult Ally Intern to the Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship. She believes in the importance of mental health advocacy for youths and participated in mental health/wellbeing related workshops and knowledge sharings. Annika is a daughter to Filipino immigrants and was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a current student at City College of San Francisco with plans to transfer into a 4-year University, and is studying to pursue a career in community development.

What does mental health meant to you?
I believe mental health means learning to understand our own individual limits and boundaries, and affects our mental, physical and social well-being. It's important for us to normalize discussions around wellness and mental health in order for us to heal and rely on each other as a community.

Ilana Salayog, (she/her)
Buong Loob Alumni, class of 2023

Ilana Salayog is a dedicated first-generation full-time college student currently enrolled at City College of San Francisco. She was originally born in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines, then she moved to San Francisco at the age of 7. In 2023, Ilana graduated from Buong Loob, a testament to her resilience and dedication to personal and community growth. After her graduation, she took on the role of Young Adult Ally Intern in the Spring of 2024, contributing her time and skills to support the Buong Loob community. Ilana is determined to further her education and contribute to raising awareness about mental health issues within the Filipina/o/x American community.

What does mental health meant to you?
​Mental health is the state of our well-being when navigating stress and confronting challenges. Normalizing discussions around wellness and mental health in our community is crucial because it is stigmatized. We often underestimate the importance of mental health and how it plays a role in our daily lives. Raising awareness can result in a supportive, comfortable, and safe environment for individuals to share similar experiences passed from down through generations before. Recognizing and addressing mental health can make an impactful change within the Filipinx/Filipinx American community.

Community Partners

(t) 415-355-4578  (e) [email protected]

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 ([email protected]).  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!