international Youth Symposium

Project focus:

• An interactive analytics dashboard built in Microsoft Power BI using New York State Cancer Registry data on melanoma.

Key insights from the analysis:

• ~55,000 melanoma cases across New York State
• Median age at diagnosis: ~67 years.
• Sex disparity: ~57% of cases in males, showing clear male predominance.
• Age impact: Cases rise sharply with age, with the highest burden in those 50+.
• Geographic variation: County-level differences in total cases and late-stage proportions highlight possible gaps in screening and access to care.

Goals & contributions:

• Quantify melanoma burden in New York State.
• Examine demographic disparities (age, sex, race).
• Map geographic patterns at the county level.
• Explore factors associated with late-stage diagnosis.
• Deliver a multi-page, filterable dashboard to support public health planning and targeted screening.

Challenges discussed:

• Converting largely categorical registry data into usable analytical variables.
• Building complex DAX measures that respond correctly to filters without circular dependencies.
• Interpreting population-level correlations without overstating causation.

Long-term potential (Q&A):

• Ethan reflected on whether tools like this should be freely accessible public resources or monetized platforms for agencies and organizations, noting that the answer may depend on how the project evolves and how it is adopted in practice.

Project focus:

• A youth-led global health initiative to reduce malaria by providing insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets to high‑risk communities.

Key context on malaria:

• 200 million infections and ~600,000 deaths annually, disproportionately affecting children under five and pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Despite severe outcomes, malaria is largely preventable with effective interventions.

Scientific & technological backdrop:

• Current tools include two WHO‑approved vaccines (RTS,S at ~40% efficacy and R21 at ~72% in trials), as well as emerging but not yet widely successful approaches like genetically modified mosquitoes and Wolbachia-based strategies.
• In contrast, insecticide-treated bed nets are simple, proven, and affordable—roughly $2 per net—providing both physical and chemical protection at night.

Net School initiative:

• After extensive reading, research, and conversations with global health professionals, Alice launched Net School to:
  • Source durable polyester nets treated with alphamethrin.
  • Partner with a reliable on‑the‑ground organization to distribute nets effectively.
• She partnered with International Midwife Assistance in Soroti/Sorari, Uganda (population ~250,000), a region with intense transmission, limited healthcare access, and high risk for pregnant women.
• Working with local clinics, volunteers, and the Uganda Ministry of Health, Net School focuses on direct distribution to pregnant women and high‑risk families.

Ways to get involved (as presented):

• Donating to support bulk purchase and distribution of nets.
• Sharing and amplifying the initiative to raise awareness.
• Joining the project for those interested in global health or humanitarian work, emphasizing that even a few dollars can protect an entire family.

Ethical & societal discussion (Q&A):

• Alice and the moderator discussed why billionaires and ultra‑wealthy individuals may not have fully funded malaria eradication—touching on challenges of awareness, logistical complexity, time commitment, and a lack of perceived personal stake.
• They reflected on “lobbying billionaires” similarly to politicians and the broader challenge of getting people to care deeply about crises that do not directly affect them.

Project focus:

• My Healthcare Buddy (MHB) is a youth organization focused on educating adolescents and young adults on:
  • Public health
  • Medical law and policy (e.g., HIPAA, HITECH)
  • Healthcare systems & professions
  • Bioethics and everyday health literacy

Key motivation and problem framing:

• ~60% of Americans live with at least one preventable chronic disease, often linked to modifiable behaviors and gaps in health knowledge.
• Challenges in the US healthcare landscape include:
  • Reduced public health funding and shifting political priorities.
  • Very high healthcare spending (hundreds of billions annually) yet significant inequities in access.
  • ~31.3 million Americans have never had a medical checkup, often due to cost or lack of insurance.
  • Increasing use of AI in healthcare (e.g., surgical robotics, transcription), raising privacy and ethics concerns.
  • Rising mortality and poorer health indicators in younger generations (mental health, substance use, lifestyle).

Core platforms & activities:

• Instagram – @mhcbuddy
  • Longest-running platform (since Nov 2024).
  • Posts on medical finance, terminology, health law, and myth‑busting (e.g., organ donation myths, knuckle‑cracking and arthritis).
• TikTok – @mhcbuddy
  • Launched March 2026 to reach youth where they already spend time.
  • Short-form, accessible health content.
• Website – mhcbuddy.weebly.com
  • Blogs, short explanations and glossaries for medical terms.
  • About section, and links to established nonprofits for those who want to donate to vetted public health organizations.

Impact & accomplishments:

• ~850 Instagram followers, making it the largest platform to date.
• Conducted interviews with local assistance programs serving low‑income families and youth with additional educational needs, especially about hygiene and basic health needs.
• Launched Project Clean Futures
  • Inspired community youth to donate hygiene items.
  • Collected and donated ~300 items.
  • Partnered with local donut shops to reward the high school classes contributing most to the drive (e.g., donations to Family Promise).

Future goals:

• Interview health professionals at national level (EMTs, ER nurses, CDC/NIH staff, etc.).
• Create 30‑day wellness challenges and structured schedules shared via TikTok and Instagram.
• Grow the audience to amplify health information and public health messaging.

Broader discussion (Q&A):

• How Americans can seek trustworthy health information when confidence in government agencies is shaken:
  • Eli suggested turning to local physicians, friends in healthcare, and even community/college classes to build grounded understanding.
• On healthcare as a right vs. privilege, Eli leaned toward healthcare as a right, emphasizing:
  • Other countries’ ability to provide national health systems.
  • The importance of guaranteeing essential care, even if advanced technology is expensive.

Project focus:

• Light pollution as an under‑recognized environmental and public health issue, with significant implications for sleep, circadian rhythms, chronic disease, and cancer risk.

What is light pollution?

• The disruption of natural light–dark cycles by excessive or poorly designed artificial lighting.
• Forms include:
  • Skyglow: Upward-directed light scattered in the atmosphere, creating the familiar urban glow.
  • Clutter: Excessive, tightly grouped bright lights that overwhelm visual processing.
  • Glare: High‑contrast, uncomfortable brightness (e.g., full‑beam headlights).
  • Light trespass: Unwanted light entering homes/rooms at night, disturbing sleep.

Global scale & trends:

• Using 2024 satellite data, Suhani showed that ~80% of the world lives under some level of light‑polluted sky.
• A study of 2011–2022 data suggests night skies are becoming ~10% brighter per year in many places.
• High levels of sky brightness cluster around densely populated and industrial areas, while truly dark skies are largely confined to remote, sparsely populated regions.

City-level investigation:

• Suhani built a DIY sky quality meter using Arduino and a light sensor.
• She mapped sky brightness across commercial, residential, and hospital zones in her city and found consistently high brightness in all these environments—areas where people live and sleep.

Health impacts & biology:

• WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classify night‑shift work—driven in part by chronic artificial light exposure—as a Group 2A “probable carcinogen.”
• Studies link light at night to increased risk of breast cancer (women) and prostate cancer (men).

Mechanism:

• Light reaching the eye signals from the retina to the hypothalamus and pineal gland, regulating production of:
  • Melatonin (sleep hormone, peaks at night)
  • Cortisol (alertness hormone, peaks in daytime)
• Blue‑rich light (common in LEDs, screens, “cool white” bulbs) mimics daylight and suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep and shifting the circadian rhythm.
• A cited Harvard study showed 6.5 hours of blue light exposure can delay the body clock by ~3 hours, contributing over time to:
  • Chronic sleep deprivation and sleep disorders
  • Cardiovascular issues
  • Obesity and metabolic disorders
  • Increased cancer risk

Special concern for adolescents:

• Adolescents already experience a natural ~1–2 hour circadian delay during puberty.
• Combined with evening/electronic light exposure and early school start times, this produces severe sleep deficits (often <6–7 hours instead of recommended 8–10 hours).
• Consequences: reduced concentration, memory and learning issues, slower reaction time, and long‑term risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

Solutions and design changes:

• Replace old, unshielded streetlights with full cutoff, shielded fixtures that direct light only downward, as demonstrated in a NASA-documented before/after comparison in Los Angeles.
• Benefits include both reduced skyglow and better energy efficiency (less wasted upward light).
• Additional measures:
  • Warmer-colored lighting (less blue content).
  • Right-size illumination—no over‑lighting.
  • Smart controls and motion sensors to dim or switch off lights when areas are vacant.

Starlight nonprofit & SkyQI initiative:

• Suhani founded Starlight, a nonprofit focused on:
  • Raising awareness about light pollution and health.
  • Running star‑gazing sessions and citizen‑science projects.
  • Future policy advocacy around responsible lighting.
• SkyQI project:
  • Participants upload night-sky photos from smartphones.
  • An algorithm estimates sky brightness, assigns a Bortle scale rating (1–9), and plots locations on a global map.
  • The site also hosts blogs, educational resources, and practical solutions.
• Starlight is actively seeking new members and contributors for outreach, tech, data analysis, and advocacy.

Closing reflection:

• Suhani urged participants to think not only about health risks but also about the loss of the night sky itself, pointing out that seeing only a handful of stars is not normal and inviting everyone to help “bring back the night sky.”

Project focus:

• Bright Beats is a youth‑led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses interactive music programs to support children and teens with special needs, especially those with developmental or learning challenges.

Why this matters:

• Around 1 in 6 children have developmental or learning challenges.
• Many enrichment programs are not tailored to these needs, or are too costly or logistically inaccessible.
• Children in this community often experience barriers in communication, inclusion, and social engagement.

Organizational structure:

• Led by a youth executive team: Ryan (President) and three Vice Presidents with distinct focus areas:
  • Communications
  • Programs & volunteers
  • Global partnerships and chapters
• Chapters currently in Texas, United Kingdom, Uganda, and China, in addition to the main chapter.
• Emphasis on giving youth leaders substantial responsibility to develop leadership and organizational skills.

Core programs:

• Music Engagement Sessions
  • Inclusive, interactive sessions centered on rhythm, melody, and movement.
  • Conducted in-person (e.g., at schools, libraries, community centers) and virtually (1:1 volunteer–family sessions).
  • Grounded in neuroscience and music therapy literature to support communication, engagement, and well‑being.
• School Partnerships
  • After-school and summer programs run directly in special needs classrooms.
• Community Events & Collaborations
  • Accessible events at libraries, community centers, and with other nonprofits.
  • Collaboration with organizations such as:
    • Parents of Autistic Children (POAC)
    • The African Child (Uganda)
    • Student groups like Melodies as Medicine, Key Melody (China), and Sunny Teens Academy.
• Virtual Sessions
  • Remote programs that allow children and families from different locations to participate.
• Youth Leadership Academy
  • Training for volunteers to develop leadership, empathy, communication, and facilitation skills.

Impact (to date):

• 5 locations / chapters globally.
• 10+ partner organizations (schools, community orgs, special needs charities, student groups).
• Approximately 2,500 families served through events and programs.
• Around 5,000 volunteer hours contributed by youth volunteers.

Personal learning (Q&A):

• Ryan shared that one of the biggest lessons has been the importance of listening deeply and not dismissing behaviors or needs that may at first seem confusing.
• Example: A child who resisted sharing an instrument wasn’t being “difficult”—he had just started his turn and had a clear plan and sense of fairness.
• This reinforced the need to treat every participant as intentional and capable, and to seek understanding before judgment.