HealthMPowers

09/08/2026

🎉 Meet the Leaders Helping Shape the Future of HealthMPowers 🎉

We're excited to welcome our 2026-2027 Board of Directors, a remarkable group of leaders who bring diverse expertise, passion, and vision to our mission of empowering youth to lead healthier lives.

At the helm is our Board Chair, Yolanda Reid-Wheeler, whose commitment to community, leadership, and creating opportunities for young people continues to inspire our organization. In this special video, Yolanda shares why she believes in the power of HealthMPowers and the importance of investing in the next generation. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6dBZQ6hg6Po

As we continue advancing youth leadership and whole-child wellness, we're grateful for a board that is deeply committed to helping every child thrive.

Please join us in welcoming and celebrating this incredible group of volunteers who generously share their time, talent, and leadership to strengthen our impact across Georgia and beyond. https://healthmpowers.org/our-people/

🎥 Hear from Board Chair Yolanda Reid-Wheeler and meet the team helping guide our future.

Yolanda Reid-Wheeler, Henry County Intervention Specialist and Heal...

09/04/2026

Warning: This video contains strong opinions about college football. 🚨🏈😂

With college football season officially underway, several members of Team HealthMPowers have volunteered as tribute to represent their beloved teams.

Will bragging rights be earned? Will rivalries be tested? Will anyone change allegiances after a tough loss?

Probably not. 😆

But one thing is for sure: a little healthy competition makes the season even more fun. Meet our staff superfans and tell us who you're rooting for this year!

09/02/2026

Have you ever wondered why some neighborhoods make it easy to be active while others don't?

Join us on September 27 for an interactive virtual session where you'll explore how communities can be designed to support physical activity, health, and well-being. Even better? Several members of the HealthMPowers Youth Advisory Board will be leading the discussion and sharing their perspectives on creating healthier spaces for young people.

🚶‍♀️ What makes a community activity-friendly? 🚲 How can youth influence change? 💡 What ideas do you have for making your community healthier?

This is your chance to connect with other middle and high school students, learn from youth leaders, and help shape the future of healthy communities.

📅 September 27 💻 Virtual Event 🎤 Led by Youth, for Youth https://healthmpowers-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/SIf6XlLgR2GNnRVEQIwchg #/registration

Because the people who use our communities every day should have a voice in designing them!

08/31/2026

What a BASH! HealthMPowers had a blast this weekend at the Murray County Back 2 School Bash, connecting with nearly 800 students and their families as they geared up for a brand-new school year! 🍎💪

From healthy eating tips to getting active, we were all about kicking off the year with healthy habits and happy families! A big thank-you to the Murray County School District and surrounding community for making it such a great day. Here’s to a healthy, happy, and active school year!

08/27/2026

Today, we are celebrating a true Rising Star! 🌟

Congratulations to Pratima Yellayi on receiving the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network Rising Star Award. While we are incredibly proud of this recognition, those of us at HealthMPowers have known for years just how bright her light shines. From helping launch the Girls Empowering Movement (GEM) as a middle school student to co-chairing our statewide Youth Advisory Board, Pratima has consistently demonstrated the power of youth leadership, vision, and action. She has been a champion for mental wellness, nutrition, physical activity, and health equity, while always leading with humility, thoughtfulness, and a deep commitment to helping others.

Pratima's impact extends far beyond HealthMPowers. She has represented youth voices at statewide convenings, participated in advocacy efforts at the state Capitol and beyond, helped shape programs and initiatives, supported community events, and inspired countless young people to believe that their voices matter.

What makes her especially remarkable is that she never seeks the spotlight for herself. Instead, she uses her leadership to elevate others, build community, and create opportunities for her peers to thrive.

At HealthMPowers, we are honored to stand behind Pratima as she continues to shine. Watching her grow from a young leader with a big idea into an influential advocate and changemaker has been one of our greatest privileges. The future is brighter because of leaders like her, and we cannot wait to see what she accomplishes next.

Please join us in congratulating Pratima on this well-deserved recognition! 💙✨

08/23/2026

HealthMPowers has a long-standing partnership with Girl Scouts that goes far beyond programming. Our executive teams work together regularly, we're collaborating on a big new project (more soon) and the Girls Empowering Movement program is an offering for troops as well. But this weekend, we took it up a notch. Our team joined them in a training to equip troop leaders with the skills and tools to center youth voice, foster leadership, and build meaningful youth-adult partnerships.

Yesterday, we had the privilege of gathering with an incredible group of Girl Scout troop leaders to explore strategies for ensuring every girl has a voice in decision-making, regardless of her personality or communication style. The conversation was rich with shared experiences, practical solutions, and a deep commitment to helping young people lead.

We're grateful for the dedicated troop leaders who invest their time and hearts into developing the next generation of leaders and changemakers. (One woman at the training had been part of Girl Scouts for 60 years!)

08/14/2026

Yesterday, HealthMPowers attended the School Cellphone Policies: Moving from Policy into Practice conference at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, joining educators, policymakers, researchers, students, parents, and community leaders from across Georgia.

We are especially proud of our Youth Advisory Board members Rian Reddy, Neha Kamisetty, Amaliia Vertopakhova, and Eve Scott for representing youth perspectives at this important event. A special congratulations to Rian and Neha, who shared their experiences and insights as members of the Student Voices Panel.

Ensuring that student voices are part of conversations about school policies is key to creating healthier, more supportive learning environments. We are grateful for opportunities like this to learn, collaborate, and advocate for the well-being of Georgia's students.

Thank you to Emory University, the Georgia Department of Education, and GEMA for bringing together so many partners committed to student success.

08/11/2026

Check out these photo highlights from the weekend at the Headland Heights UMC Youth Wellness Summit!💧 We had an amazing time helping youth discover that healthy choices can be fun, flavorful, and refreshing! 💚

As part of the Youth Wellness Summit, HealthMPowers led engaging healthy beverage activities and introduced participants to the fun of creating their own infused water!

From learning about healthier drink choices to reading food labels, youth were able to explore simple ways to make wellness a part of the start of the school year. 🙌🏽

Thank you to Headland Heights United Methodist Church and the NAACP ATL chapter for inviting us to be part of this incredible wellness experience!

08/08/2026

This week, we joined partners from across Georgia for the final SNAP-Ed convening and celebration. We were honored to receive a lifetime achievement-style recognition and reflect on some of our proudest accomplishments over the past two decades.

SNAP-Ed was more than a funding source for HealthMPowers. It was our learning lab. It gave us the opportunity to pilot and refine ideas around service delivery, evaluation, human-centered design, youth leadership, and systems change. In many ways, nearly everything we do today was shaped by lessons learned through this work.

While it's bittersweet to say goodbye to this landmark program due to federal funding cuts, we're incredibly grateful for the foundation it provided and the healthier generation of Georgia children it helped create.

To every staff member, partner, school, and student who was part of this journey: thank you. The federal grant program may be ending, but its impact will continue to live on through the work we carry forward every day.

08/04/2026

🌟 Free Youth Wellness Summit 🌟

We're partnering on this amazing free event for youth this Saturday, August 8th | 9 AM – 1 PM. (Best for ages 11-17)

The event is hosted by Headland Heights United Methodist Church in partnership with the NAACP ATL Chapter. What to Expect:
🥁 Therapeutic Drumming
🧘🏽 Yoga
🎶 Journaling Through Song
🤝 Teambuilding & Plenty of Movement

Boxed lunches will be provided and participants will leave with special giveaways. Bring your energy, your friends, and let's get moving together! 💪🏽💛

📍The Bradbury House
215 Buckeye Road, Fayetteville, GA 30214
📅 Saturday, August 8th ⏰ 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Register to join: HHUMC Youth Wellness Summit - Aug 2026 Registration Link https://forms.gle/1UctRoqkWdWXTZydA