The Healthy NewsWorks community gathered on April 29 for Healthy Conversations, an evening of food, community, video screenings, and discussions facilitated by our student reporters.
>> See video highlights and a photo gallery from the event.
The evening started with students showing off their school newspapers as guests arrived and enjoyed food. After brief introductory remarks from Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, vice president of community affairs for Independence Blue Cross (IBX) and president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, and Healthy NewsWorks Executive Director Marian Uhlman, the conversations began.
Three student-produced videos—focused on various aspects of the 2024–25 Healthy NewsWorks theme, “Making Good Decisions”—were shown at intervals with time for conversations between each one. Approximately 150 attendees, gathered at IBX in Center City Philadelphia, shared comments about everything from choices they made at work or in business, to how they decided where to attend college, making big moves to new places, and deciding to get married and build a family.
The student reporters, serving as ambassadors for the 2,000 students involved with Healthy NewsWorks during the school year, helped keep the conversations moving.
“I loved hearing about the different decisions people have made throughout their lives. A lot of their stories were really heartfelt,” said Demaj, eighth grade, DePaul Healthy Trailblazer Journal. At Demaj’s table, someone discussed a job opportunity that they had to give up because they were going through personal challenges and they weren’t ready to do their best in the job. “A few years later, the same person came back and offered them the same job. They waited until they were ready, and now they’re doing really good.”
Several students said they enjoyed hearing about decisions that didn’t go as planned—“bad decisions, good decisions, and how we can take what we learn for the next time we have to make a decision,” said Aria, fourth grade, Cole Manor Healthy Comet.
“Failure is not a thing to be upset about, but more a thing to grow from,” said Gloria, eighth grade, Healthy Trailblazer Journal.
One discussion centered on how the use of social media can affect decision-making.
“I learned it can be educational, it can be used to find opportunities and experiences, but then I heard someone else say that they don’t think social media is good at all,” said Kai, fourth grade, Russell Byers Healthy Knight News. “I liked hearing all of the different opinions.”
After the discussions at the tables, students had the opportunity to take the microphone and answer audience questions about what they discussed at their tables, as well as reflect on the experience of facilitating conversations among adults and the confidence they gained in leading the discussions.
“I’m now more comfortable talking to adults and people outside of who I know,” said Zoey, sixth grade, Holy Name School, Catholic Partnership Schools Healthy Courier.
Mia, fifth grade, St. Cecilia School, Healthy Courier, talked about experiencing anxiety before speaking in front of a crowd. After she spoke, many people approached her and thanked her for sharing her nervousness. “We’re all going through a lot, and we should have confidence,” Mia said. “You feel like you’re going through it alone, but at the same time, there are so many people going through the same things as you.”
