Applications to join Youth Contingency's Spring 2026 cohort are now closed. Maraming Salamat!

"Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference: Youth Contingency" Program

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

Founded in 2022, the "Youth Contingency: Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference" is a pathway program designed for 11th and 12th-grade alumni of Buong Loob who wish to deepen their understanding of Filipina/o/x American youth mental health, identity, and culture. Through a focus on community-based research and leadership development, participants take on the central role of organizing the Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference—an annual event hosted by the Filipino Mental Health Initiative-San Francisco and fellow community partners. This youth-led conference uplifts student wellness, celebrates Filipina/o/x culture, and fosters collective healing within the community.

This program is sponsored by the Filipino Mental Health Initiative-San Francisco, in collaboration with 5 Elements Youth Program.

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Commitments & Eligibility for Spring 2026

PROGRAM TIMELINE
Mandatory Online Orientation
Thursday, December 18th, 2025 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (ONLINE)

Program Cycle
Tuesday, January 13th, 2026 to May 14th, 2026 (18 weeks, IN PERSON)

ELIGIBILITY

• Completed the Buong Loob program as a 10th or 11th grader
• Identifies as Filipino or Filipina/o/x American
• Lives in San Francisco​
• Taken an Ethnic Studies course or has work/volunteer experience with organizations whose mission is rooted in social justice, health equity, or mental health
• Must attend mandatory online orientation on December 18, 2025 

INCENTIVES

• $500 gift card stipend for completion of program
• Certification in teen Mental Health First Aid training course
• College and career exploration in the fields of psychology, public health, education, and social work
• Develop skills in public speaking, event planning, budgeting, and community-engaged research
• Build a professional network and work experience in community health ​

Buong Loob Interns at the 4th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference at San Francisco State University. (Photo taken by Brandon Bungcayo, 2025).

Buong Loob Interns & Youth Contingency Interns certified in teen Mental Health First Aid. (Photo taken by Harvey Lozada, 2024)

MEETING LOCATION & TIME
Program meetings are in-person at a location in San Francisco every Tuesday from 5:00 PM-6:30 PM. There are no options to participate virtually. Participants will also be required to attend off-campus events. Program leaders will share calendar dates in a timely manner. Please take note of the varying dates and meeting locations listed below and plan accordingly.

[1/13/26, 1/20/26, & 1/27/26] Location to be announced in December 2025. 
[Feb 2026-May 2026]  Philip & Sala Burton High School-400 Mansell Street, San Francisco, CA 94134

STIPEND INFORMATION
Participants will receive a $500 gift card stipend, split into two payments. 
PAYMENT #1: $250 in March 2026 (9-week mark)
PAYMENT #2:  $250 in May 2026 (end of program)

Download our 1 page outreach_flyer__yc_fswc_spring_2026.png

Highlight Video
​​4th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2025 
April 26, 2025 at San Francisco State University's College of Ethnic Studies

Highlight video created by Kuya Alvin Dizon (2025).

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!" -FSWC 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.”  -FSWC Adult Ally Attendee

"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/FSWC Workshop Facilitator

Meet our Team

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Founders

​[email protected]

 Harvey Lozada (he/him), MSW, PPSC
Youth & Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) Specialist

Harvey Lozada is a fourth-generation FRISCOPINO.  He is an educator, community worker, healer, filmmaker, photographer, and visual storyteller. Harvey is the son of Filipino immigrants from the islands of Luzon and Mindanao and traces his familial roots in Yelamu, occupied Ramaytush Ohlone territory (San Francisco, CA) as far back as the 1920s. He is a humble culture bearer and descendant of traditional medicine keepers such as albularyos and manghihilots from the so-called Philippines. Harvey’s healing journey began with community activism and engaging young people in the juvenile justice system. For almost two decades, 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. 

[email protected]

Verma Soria Zapanta (she/her), M.Ed.
Director of Wellness Education & Youth Programs

Verma Soria Zapanta is an educator, holistic wellness practitioner, and mental health
program consultant from Yelamu — unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory. A proud #Friscokid and daughter of Filipino immigrants, she holds a B.A. in Asian American Studies from SF State and an M.A. in Education with a single-subject Social Studies credential from UCLA. Verma’s teaching journey began with Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP) in 2007 at Balboa High School and later taught the 9th-grade Ethnic Studies pilot program at Thurgood Marshall Academic High School in San Francisco Unified School District. After transitioning from the classroom in 2018, Verma deepened her studies in Philippine folk medicine and noticed that it became a point of access to discuss mental health within the Filipinx community. These experiences continue to inform her role as the Director of Wellness Education and Youth Programs at the Filipino Mental Health Initiative–SF and PEP’s Assistant Director, where she develops culturally and community-responsive mental health supports for students and community members.

Community Partner

5 Elements Youth Programs (5E)

Our mission is to explore innovative methods to promote academic and personal development from elementary levels to transitional adulthood. Our programs serve youth of color with evidence-based practices and multicultural frameworks, using the arts as a vehicle to overcome adversity.
We serve diverse youth populations from low-income Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Arab communities who reside in the Bayview, Excelsior, Sunnydale, Lakeview and Mission districts of San Francisco. We partner with innovative projects across the Bay Area, extending our reach to youth across the region.

415elements.org/

Ways to Show Your Support
Monetary or In-Kind Donations

​Lay a donation via Paypal 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!