The Elevate Program

The Elevate program focuses on high-risk populations within the geographic area of Kannapolis, located in Rowan and Cabarrus counties, North Carolina. With funding from the Office of Population Affairs, Cabarrus Health Alliance (CHA) and project partners: Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Kannapolis City Schools, Cabarrus and Rowan Departments of Social Services, Boys and Girls Club of Cabarrus, and El Puente Hispano will replicate evidence-based programs (EBPs) in the school, foster care, and community-based organizations/nonprofit settings in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, North Carolina. The goal of Elevate is to advance health equity for adolescents, their families, and communities in Cabarrus and Rowan County by a) replicating medically accurate, age, and culturally appropriate EBPs, b) incorporating Positive Youth Development approaches, and c) leveraging the systems that impact adolescent health to improve equity and sustainability. EBPs will be replicated to scale to support suburban youth with greatest needs and facing significant disparities, in particular, Black and Hispanic youth, who demonstrate the greatest disparities in STI and teen pregnancy rates, respectively.

The following positive youth development and supportive services are provided through Elevate: 

  • Youth Advisory Council (YAC) will be a formal group composed of youth from Cabarrus County that will assist, organize, and supervise EBPs and serve as an advisory committee to the Learning Collaborative. YACs will focus on elevating youth voice; decreasing the sexual health risks of youth; and increasing awareness, access, and utilization of adolescent-friendly supportive services. 
  • Service Learning integrates community service with instruction and reflection to demonstrate civic responsibility and strengthen communities. 
  • Elevate encourages Parent-Child Connectedness opportunities through Parent Listening Sessions, workshops and seminars that give parents and caregivers a platform to learn and discuss important topics in adolescent health. 
  • Future Orientation activities are implemented in collaboration with the Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructor to give students a better understanding of future opportunities past high school. 
  • Summer Advantage is implemented at the Boys and Girls Club of Cabarrus County that provides free summer-time opportunities for underserved high school youth. 
  • Racial Equity and Trauma Trainings will be provided to educators and administrators that encourages working through a racial equity lens to uncover personal and institutional biases that may create barriers to optimal learning and health. 

The Learning Collaborative (LC) engages a network of youth-serving stakeholders across Cabarrus and Rowan Counites. The LC shares cross-sector knowledge, experiences, and resources to 1) reduce adolescent sexual health disparities between counties; and 2) examine how social determinants and structural racism impact overall optimal health.  

Contact Information:

Program Manager: Pady Doroodchi, MPH pady.doroodchi@cabarrushealth.org