FLAGSTAFF — First, youth and young adults were invited to craft creative COVID-19 public health messages. Now, it’s the community’s turn to choose their favorites.
The Arizona Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities set out to inspire Arizona youth and young adults to showcase their artistic talents through the “It’s Our Turn” contest, asking them to add their unique spin on public service COVID-19 messages, especially around masks and vaccines.
CEAL consists of a partnership between Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Mayo Clinic, and the Arizona Community Health Worker Association. Together with members and leaders of African American, Latino/a, and Native American communities, CEAL aims to provide trustworthy COVID-19 information through active community engagement and outreach to the people hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “It’s Our Turn” contest, a CEAL effort, gave youth and young adults a platform to submit their own creative take on a health message about COVID-19 masks and vaccines, or another pandemic-related health effect on youth. “It’s Our Turn” is also a research study to understand how messages created by youth and young adults help protect communities from COVID-19 and raise awareness on how the pandemic has affected this age group.
The contest, which closed October 30th, invited 14 to 25 years olds living or attending school anywhere in Arizona to submit their creations on the artistic medium of their choice. Public service announcements reminding people to mask up, tools to help teenagers navigate pandemic-related challenges, and art highlighting the importance of mental health are examples of the 23 completed submissions.
“It’s Our Turn” is now calling on community members to vote for the submissions they like the most. The top 12 picks will win a $250 gift card prize. All community members age 14 and older are invited to vote by January 5, 2022.
“The pandemic is not over yet. If we are going to beat COVID-19, we need to work together, make sure everyone has a seat at the table, and get creative,” said Linnea Evans,
. “Engaging youth, young adults, and our communities across Arizona in the pandemic response is critical as we try to keep schools open and keep cases down.”
Find more information on the contest and vote here: CEAL contest community vote | (nau.edu)