When it comes to talking about sex and sexually transmitted infections with youth, the conversation can be challenging for both adults and teens. But, it’s a necessary conversation to have. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), youth between the ages of 15-24 account for half of the 20 million new cases of STIs that happen yearly in the U.S. The Walgreens Co. has found a creative way to make this talk and other serious topics easier through The Walgreens Expressions Challenge.
The Walgreens Expressions Challenge is a peer-to-peer based health awareness initiative that gives high school teens an outlet to creatively express their perspectives on making healthy lifestyle choices. Through the use of visual arts, creative writing and media arts, teens make their voices heard on bullying, sexual responsibility, self-esteem and more.
“It is important that we are given an outlet to express our voices and experience a sense of accomplishment for our efforts. This can inspire countless others to implement change through creative expression,” Anana Upton, a senior at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, shared with BlackDoctor.org.
Upton, who plans on submitting a visual arts piece on LGBTQAI teens, believes The Walgreens Challenge is especially important to help “youth explore their own belief and understanding of the world [on] a deeper level.”
For students who may be a little bit more shy, like Kayla Wright, a 16-year-old sophomore at Hillcrest High School, the Challenge helps them to…
…talk about topics they would not normally talk about. “I love to draw and this competition allows me to do so,” said Wright.
Another reason Wright looks forward to participating? “There’s a small chance I might win something!”
In addition to having their work featured, winners of theThe Walgreens Expressions Challenge also receive scholarship monies at a private award ceremony.
“The Walgreen’s Expressions Challenge is an opportunity for our students to win money to help offset the cost of their college tuition or college fees such as books,” explained Monica Harris, a facilitator working with students as part of the Royal Daughter’s of God organization.
“However, what is great about this particular challenge is that it’s not based on past academic grades, so all of our students have a chance of winning,” Harris added.
Student submissions are accepted Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, 2016. For entry guidelines and more information, click here.
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