Hopeful Empowered Youth (HEY!) and Youth at the Center named their second youth fellow cohort who will help lead HEY! and their efforts to improve the well-being of all youth in the community.

HEY! is a diverse coalition of more than 200 youth-supporting organizations and youth fellows building a community-wide movement to support the well-being of all youth in the community. This is the movement’s second youth fellow cohort since the organization was launched in September 2024.  The first youth fellow cohort played a critical role in setting organizational priorities prior to launch.

Clare Blankemeyer, HEY!’s executive director, calls the youth fellows the movement’s key advantage.  

 “Our fellows keep us focused on youth well-being, and they give us confidence that our movement will deliver what they need,” said Blankemeyer.  

Quinn Merriss, HEY! youth fellow and executive committee member explained, “Youth are the ones living today’s reality; attending school, going to shelters, engaged in systems of care. We have fresh perspectives that are hopeful, optimistic, and upstream views of what is possible for our lives.  Adults can become paralyzed by the very systems they work for.” 

The youth fellows are attending or have recently graduated from a mix of private and public area high schools and colleges. More than 80% are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), more than 40% are LGBTQ+ and almost a quarter of them have experience with the child welfare system. 

“It’s important to involve youth that face barriers and disparities because they represent a majority of the youth whose well-being is compromised,” said Brooke Winstead, HEY! youth fellow and executive committee member.  “When youth are engaged with meaningful roles – beyond just tokenized – it’s the heart of HEY!’s work and means we give input, feedback, and reality checks on what’s actually needed for youth and what will actually work.” 

Winstead added, “It’s’ time to address the challenges of underserved communities and bring their own realities to the forefront.  Adults often have blind spots to these truths and youth can help shine a light on them.” 

The fellowship program is managed by Youth at the Center, a nonprofit that works to advance opportunities for community youth to be seen, heard and valued.  Shawn Jeffers, Youth at the Center co-founder and director, says that HEY! is a great opportunity for area youth to be involved. 

“HEY! offers our young people a great opportunity to use their voice to make a difference in their community,” said Jeffers.  “This next fellow cohort is composed of youth and young adults who are passionate, energetic, and committed to improving the mental health landscape.” 

A panel of HEY! volunteers chose the fellows after sifting through more than 200 online applications and vetting the best potential candidates through in-person Zoom interviews.   

About HEY!

Hopeful Empowered Youth (HEY!) is a diverse coalition of community groups, funders, healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, families, and, most importantly, youth working to support the mental well-being of all youth in Greater Cincinnati—especially those facing the most significant barriers and disparities. Comprised of more than 200 community members, HEY’s vision is that our youth thrive, feel a sense of belonging, have resilience, and are surrounded by trusted adults and community support. For more information, visit www.hopefulempoweredyouth.org.