Poster #15

Pacific Islander Youth Reactions to the COVID Pandemic

By: Judith F. Clark

 
Pacific Islander Youth Reactions to the COVID Pandemic
 
 

Abstract:

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, AmeriCorps Members in the Northern Mariana Islands continued their services to their community.  The CNMI AmeriCorps Members are high school seniors who provide tutoring and mentoring to younger students and participate in other community service projects.

Because the COVID pandemic impacted their lives so greatly, the members often wrote about the pandemic in their weekly reflection journals.  This poster shares the youths’ concerns and reactions about safety, education, family, their future plans, and continuing to serve their community. The youth voice, as they share their concerns and worries, talk about supporting their families and community, and describe the ways that COVID has affected family life, is compelling. These unscripted and often poignant journal entries provide insights into youth reactions to trauma and what services and supports helped them cope with the unexpected and major changes in their lives.  As one Member stated, “With all that is going on in the world today, the AmeriCorps team still stands strong and continues to provide for the community.”

 
Judith F. Clark Headshot

Judith f. Clark

Judith Clark, MPH, is the Executive Director of Hawaii Youth Services Network (HYSN), a statewide coalition of youth-serving organizations and a Pacific Islands training and technical assistance center. HYSN is recognized nationally as a leader in efforts to adapt evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention curricula and create culturally relevant videos for Pacific Islander and Asian youth. Ms. Clark has led teen pregnancy prevention partnerships in Hawaii since 2005 and in the Northern Mariana Islands since 2012.

HYSN has received the Horizon Award for Excellence in Health Education from the US Centers for Disease Control and Excellence in Community Communications and Outreach from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Judith was named Hawaii’s Outstanding Advocate for Children and Youth by the Hawaii State Legislature. She is a member of the national public health honor society, Delta Omega, for her lifetime achievements in public health.