MGH Youth Community Advisory Board (Y-CAB)

The Youth Community Advisory Board (Y-CAB) is a youth-led effort to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in our local neighborhoods. Y-CAB members are 9th to 12th grade high school students from Boston, Chelsea, and Revere public schools who are passionate about health equity and interested in leading change. They meet bi-weekly to connect with peers and Massachusetts General Hospital staff and advise on issues that have the greatest impact on health.

As part of their participation in the Y-CAB, the students share experiences with one another and discuss upstream approaches to address issues that impact their daily lives—such as access to reproductive healthcare, housing, education, and employment. In addition, they meet with community leaders from community-based organizations, listen and learn from their lived experiences, and develop actionable strategies to address the concerns of their communities.

The Y-CAB is made possible by the MGH Community Health Impact Funds and aims to expose young people to the workings of the MGH Community Advisory Board (CAB) while bringing the youth voice to the table. The Y-CAB is responsible for allocating $100,000 to organizations and/or initiatives of their choosing that align with the priorities they have identified as most pressing in their communities. These young people are dedicated to their charge and have proven to be true ambassadors of their communities.

Meet the Y-CAB Members

Gabryel (Gabe) Brown, 14, Boston
"One reason I joined is because I wanted the new experience. And I wanted to learn about stuff I don't get to learn in school."

 

 

Salma Khamis, 18, Revere
"Being part of the Y-CAB allows me to have my voice be heard and implement real change that affects those around me. Groups such as Y-CAB are a great opportunity for the youth to be involved and converse with others who share similar interests in health inequities."

 

Emily Maradiaga, 18, Chelsea
"I joined Y-CAB to create change in my community and to be part of a group that pushes you to be a better version of yourself."

 

 

Saalah (Sal) Mohamed, 18, Boston
"Being part of Y-CAB will be a great experience for me to hear other people’s ideas on how they can impact and help communities, build each other and what they believe they can do to make a change in the world we live in today."

 

Valeria Osorio, 18, Chelsea
"I love being part of Y-CAB because I have a voice to represent part of the youth from my community. I get to share my point of view on health inequities that impact my local community as a whole."

 

Giselle Portillo, 17, Revere
"I became a part of the Y-CAB because I am inspired to make a change in my community. I want to learn more about other people’s experiences and what inspires them as well."

 

Jaylynn Tapia, 15, Chelsea
"I like being part of Y-CAB because I get to learn and work as a team to address health inequities that impact young people in my community."