Center for Community Health and Education

NewYork-Presbyterian Ambulatory Care Network

Center for Community Health and Education (CCHE)

CCHE Teen Peer Program

Empowering Teens to Become Leaders

The CCHE T.R.U.T.H.e (Teens Remaining United Through Health Education) Peer Education Program at the JFK and George Washington campuses is a one-year youth enrichment and development program which provides students with leadership skills to become peer educators in their schools and communities. The program is coordinated by a school-based health education program coordinator, who provides orientation and education about health topics during an intensive summer program and throughout the school year.

A group of students posing

During a three-week summer internship experience at NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital — which includes interaction with several departments within the hospital, presentations by NYP medical professionals and other staff members, and presentations by the students themselves about their experiences — the peers:

  • Develop workforce skills while exploring different healthcare professions
  • Gain public speaking and professional skills to co-facilitate classroom presentations on various health-related topics to their peers
  • Participate as volunteers in health fairs, the hospital, and school-based health center activities, as well as the annual NewYork-Presbyterian Youth Summit.

At the end of the program, the teen peers are empowered with skills they need to become leaders in all aspects of their lives.