Mental Healthcare “Mental illness is the only disease that we blame the person for having.” Dr. Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, Author Our Mission This cohort of nine high-potential teens set out to investigate and address the financial, social, and legal barriers contributing to America’s mental health crisis. Through their research, our research cohort gained a deep…
Empowering Accessibility and Inclusion The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990, is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation that has profoundly impacted the lives of millions of Americans. Designed to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities and ensure their full participation in society, the ADA has fostered greater…
Celebrating Nurses Week In the realm of healthcare, nurses are the unsung heroes whose dedication, compassion, and expertise form the backbone of patient care. Nurses Week, celebrated annually from May 6th to May 12th, offers a poignant opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation for these tireless caregivers. This special week is not just about acknowledging…
Uniting Against HIV World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1st, is a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, remembering those who have lost their lives to the virus, and showing support for those living with HIV. Established in 1988, World AIDS Day has become a crucial platform for education, advocacy, and reflection,…
Nourishing the World Every year on October 16th, people from around the globe come together to celebrate World Food Day. This annual event serves as a reminder of the critical importance of food in our lives and the need to address pressing global issues related to hunger, malnutrition, and food security. In this blog, we’ll…
World Food Day In honor of World Food Day on Monday, October 16 this week’s social justice trivia topic is “hunger and poverty”. Below are five questions, each increasing in difficulty! Answers are revealed at the bottom of the article. Share with your friends, family, colleagues, and students! QUESTIONS Easy (1 point) Approximately how…
Shining a Light on Mental Well-being World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10th every year, is a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues and advocating for improved mental well-being for all. In a world that often prioritizes physical health, this day serves as a reminder that mental health is equally…
Honoring the Architects of Tomorrow Every year, on October 5th, the world comes together to celebrate World Teachers’ Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and appreciating the profound impact teachers have on society. This day serves as a reminder of the invaluable role educators play in shaping the future, not just of individuals, but of…
Embracing Unity in Differences Global Diversity Awareness Month, celebrated throughout the month of October, is a time dedicated to acknowledging and appreciating the rich tapestry of cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives that make up our global community. It’s a reminder of the importance of recognizing and valuing diversity in all its forms, whether it’s related to…
In this month’s Teen Think Tank Project’s Alumni Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce Jeremy Cimino. Jeremy is not only a talented nursing student at the University of Pennsylvania, but he is also a Teen Think Tank Project veteran. He was a member of our inaugural research cohort in 2021 before joining our staff as…
In the summer of 2023, a group of passionate and driven teenagers came together to form the Teen Think Tank Project’s Health Equity Research Cohort. This innovative program aimed to empower young minds to tackle the pressing issues surrounding health disparities, access to healthcare, and social determinants of health within their communities. The cohort’s journey…
The Teen Think Tank Project’s third season of its podcast, Here’s the Problem, focused on health equity. Dr. Marc Hurlbert, who has over 20 years of experience as a nonprofit leader advancing biomedical research and programs to reduce or eliminate health disparities, joined the podcast to discuss the roll of nonprofits in the healthcare delivery…
Introduction Throughout U.S. history, America’s healthcare system has been subjected to constant change as it evolved from a simple system of home remedies to a complex and scientific system. These changes, of course, impact the insurance system, as the first insurance was the foundation of what we have today. As the healthcare insurance system expanded,…
The Teen Think Tank Project’s third season of its podcast, Here’s the Problem, focused on health equity. Helen Labun joined the podcast to explore the intersection of agriculture and healthcare. She highlights how food access and agriculture integrate with healthcare, the challenges of rural access to care, and how access to healthy foods is the…
Advancing Health Equity On April 20th, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Health Inequality Data Repository, “the most comprehensive global collection of publicly available disaggregated data and evidence on population health and its determinants.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare disparities are “preventable differences in the burden of…
How does hospital funding affect treatment? Healthcare is something that is non-negotiable for all people. Whether it be for a cold or for a chronic illness, we all in some way depend on aspects of the healthcare industry, making it a basic human necessity. However, like most industries in our society, healthcare has become a…
Personal and systemic biases prevent health equity Becoming a doctor is an extremely long and tiresome process. Four years of pre-med education, four years of medical school, at least three years of residency, not to mention additional years of residency if one wants to specialize. Throughout these years of education and practice, an aspiring physician…
The inadequacies of federal healthcare coverage The United States Medicaid & Medicare programs, first established in 1965, aim to provide medical insurance to low-income populations (Medicaid, n.d.). It is one of America’s largest entitlement programs. But despite the mission of providing comprehensive health coverage to low-income people, we continue to see the quantity of non-ederly…
Unconscious bias is creating a health crisis The healthcare industry in the United States is one of the most consequential industries, proving relevancies from the wealthiest billionaires to the homeless on the streets. It is due to our heavy reliance on this industry that healthcare corporations have become the second largest revenue producing industry in…
Dr. Carl Latkin: The Importance of Vaccines in Getting Back to “Normal.” Dr. Carl Latkin, Vice Chair, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society at Johns Hopkins University joins the Teen Think Tank Project. Our discussion covered the importance of COVID vaccinations and the idea of vaccine hesitancy. He also outlines what we can be doing…
Vaccines – Are They Safe? Editor’s Note: Based on a June 2021 study by the KFF, a leader in health public policy analysis, when unvaccinated adults who are asked to choose the main reason they have not yet gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, 20% cite the newness of the vaccine, while another 11% say they are…
Addressing Vaccine Access and Attitudes in Minority Populations Scientific American Senior Editor, Health and Medicine Tanya Lewis sits down with TTTP’s Matt DeSantis to discuss her March 2021 article detailing the barriers to COVID vaccination for Black and Latinx populations in an attempt to understand how these racial and ethnic disparities contribute to our inability…