Healthy Haralson has selected 20 students in Haralson County to be a part of its continued efforts to improve the community's health.
The Haralson Junior Leadership Team consists of high school seniors who will work together over six months to identify, plan and implement a community project in the spring. They will also participate in leadership skills training and team-building activities.
Healthy Haralson — a committee of Tanner's Get Healthy, Live Well Coalition — and the Greater Haralson Chamber of Commerce partnered with Bremen High School and Haralson County High School to revitalize the county's Haralson Junior Leadership Team. The team encourages young leaders to play a role in addressing community-wide challenges, such as behavioral health.
"We are proud to have these students as part of the Haralson Junior Leadership Team," said Sandie Shackleford, Healthy Haralson coordinator. "Since 2018, students on the leadership team have helped shape the policies and programs that are helping improve the health of residents in Haralson County. There is no limit to what we can accomplish as a community when we give students a voice."
Through December, the team is focusing on suicide awareness and prevention in each school. In January, they will launch the anti-bullying "Be THE Voice" program in the schools.
Last year, a team of 19 high school seniors worked together over six months to implement the "Grow a Row" program, increasing access to healthy food options in Haralson County. The program encourages community gardeners to plant an extra row of vegetables for those who need access to fresh, nutritious produce.
The leadership team's goal is to bring students together to ensure they are part of the conversation in the Healthcare Georgia Foundation Two Georgias Initiative community health equity work. In July, the foundation renewed a grant used to support Healthy Haralson's community health efforts through June.
As a multi-year investment in Georgia's rural communities, The Two Georgias Initiative supports local coalitions seeking to address health disparities, improve health and expand access to quality healthcare services.
"All 11 of The Two Georgias Initiative coalitions have been steadfast in their work to improve the health outcomes of their rural communities," said Foundation President Dr. Gary Nelson. "We are honored to have the opportunity to invest in these coalitions as they move forward and continue to move the needle toward equitable healthcare access."
Visit GetHealthyHaralson.org to learn more.
2020-2021 Haralson Junior Leadership Team
Haralson County High School
Ayshanna Frazier
Braden (Richard) Taylor
Caleb Harrell
Conner Stanley
Hayden Lanier
Jackson Yearta
Maggie Parker
Sydney Fant
Taylor Olvey
William Griffith
Bremen High School
Carl Spivey
Chase Williams
Chloe Smith
Cle Summerville
Daulton Payne
Elise Larson
Haven Trantham
Jarek Bates
Parker Solberg
Riley McGinnis