Who Are We?
Youth Health Focus is a student-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity through education, advocacy, and collaboration.
Founded by students from universities across the U.S., we believe that youth have the power to lead meaningful change in public health. Our mission is to empower students to take initiative in their communities -- whether by translating health materials, organizing resource drives, conducting research, or sharing untold stories through digital media.
We focus on creating accessible and culturally relevant health resources, especially for underserved populations who face barriers due to language, geography, or systemic inequities. Each chapter operates with its own local goals while staying connected to our broader vision: a global network of young leaders working together to build healthier, more inclusive communities.
Through hands-on service, creative outreach, and interdisciplinary research, Youth Health Focus offers students a platform to turn passion into impact -- bringing fresh ideas, local insight, and authentic care to the center of public health work.
Our History
Youth Health Focus was started by Wilson Ting and Patrick Ting in 2018, following an international youth volunteer trip through a nonprofit volunteer organization called Me to We. After witnessing the immense health inequities that existed comparing the more affluent Nairobi city to rural communities like the Masai Mara in Kenya, they decided to start this organization to create an accessible platform to accurate and deliverable information about major health issues to the public in their local and global communities.
In 2025, Ariel Lee, Patrick Ting, and Nick Daum decided to shift the direction of the organization to include more service-based initiatives to allow those interested to create a direct connection as well as really address the issue of language barriers that exist when attempting to provide aid to underserved communities.
Our Mission
As Youth Health Focus continues to grow, we've realized that creating meaningful impact requires more than just health education -- it requires understanding the deeper barriers communities face.
Through our work, we’ve seen firsthand how language differences, cultural gaps, and region-specific healthcare systems can prevent people from getting the care they need. That’s why our new mission centers on improving health access by addressing these challenges head-on: developing multilingual, culturally relevant resources and tailoring our efforts to meet the unique needs of each community we serve.
We remain youth-led and community-driven, but with a renewed focus on bridging healthcare systems, overcoming communication barriers, and supporting underserved populations through more targeted, thoughtful action.