Youth Leadership
2025-26 Youth Leadership Council Cohort
Are you 18-25 and have been directly impacted by the child welfare system?
Do you want to be part of a cohort of young people learning about and creating big systems change?
Join Healthy and Free Tennessee’s Youth Leadership Council!
Fellows will join a cohort of 7-10 other young leaders across the state who are interested in organizing around and resisting the child welfare or family policing system. The fellows will be paid a stipend and given the opportunity to learn and grow together while planning and executing a legislative campaign with Healthy and Free Tennessee staff. The fellowship activities will take place primarily virtually September 2025-May 2026 with an estimated 10 hours of work/month. Have questions? Email Nina at nina@healthyandfreetn.org!
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - meaning we will try to read your application shortly after you apply, but the final deadline to apply is Thursday, August 21st. After we review your application, we will reach out to schedule a short interview by phone or zoom
“Poverty is NOT Neglect” Campaign
The 2024 Youth Leadership Council at Healthy & Free Tennessee launched the Poverty is NOT Neglect campaign to challenge family separation based on poverty. In Tennessee, child welfare authorities could take children away from families simply for struggling with poverty, homelessness, or food and job insecurity—and we’re fighting to change that! Our campaign rewrote the law so that no family has to fear being torn apart due to poverty alone, while also organizing those most affected—young, Black and brown, disabled, queer and trans folks, and poor or working-class families. We're raising awareness about the harm caused by family separation, destigmatizing poverty, and pushing for a system that supports, rather than punishes, parents. Together, we’re building a future where all families can stay together and thrive without fear of state violence. Join our council members in the fight for a future where families can stay together, and everyone has the resources they need to live without fear of state violence!
2024 Council Members
Jasmine Mata
Middle Tennessee State University
Angelina Brown
East Tennessee State University
Keyonte’ Doughty
Vanderbilt University
Toniah “Niah” Anderson
Austin Peay State University
Zack Rees
Chattanooga State Community College
Highlight of Past Cohorts
Starting in 2016, Healthy & Free Tennessee's Youth Leadership Council (YLC) has made a powerful impact through organizing events and workshops that focus on reproductive health, rights, and justice. In 2018-2019, the YLC hosted a youth summit in Memphis and Nashville, where young people gathered to learn about key topics like birth control options, combating rape culture, and navigating healthcare as a trans person. Previous cohorts organized and participated in over 25 events across Tennessee, including panels on youth organizing at the Women’s Marches and reproductive health workshops at LGBTQIA+ conferences.
YLC members have also led abortion storytelling events, organized fundraisers for reproductive health services, and participated in advocacy initiatives like our annual Advocacy Day and Black Maternal Health Week. These efforts have created spaces for education, dialogue, and activism around reproductive justice, with the YLC consistently providing young leaders opportunities to make meaningful change in their communities. We believe these cohorts are important to hear not only from our community members, but what the next generation of leadership has to say about the current state of our society.
If you're interested in working with the council, presenting a training, or have any questions about the application, please contact Nina@healthyandfreetn.org.