Highroots Wellness Amabassador Program Reaches New Milestones in Youth Health Ambassador Program

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — On July 22, Highroots Wellness and Consulting’s Youth Health Ambassador Program had a half-day retreat, marking a major milestone in an ongoing partnership between Highroots and Peak Education, dedicated to empowering student health leaders across the region.

Eight students gathered at Peak Education’s office for an interactive session designed to blend career exposure with hands-on wellness practices. Highlights of the retreat included:

• Career Exploration: A conversation with a local social worker, providing scholars with firsthand insight into behavioral health and social work careers in Colorado.

• Communication Skills: A practical workshop on active listening, where students learned and applied essential interpersonal skills.

• Mindfulness & Fitness: A guided yoga session focused on mental clarity and physical well-being.

• Nutrition in Action: A collaborative cooking session where students prepared lunch together, putting nutrition principles into direct practice.

Co-Created by Students and Highroots Wellness

Peak Education is proud to partner with Highroots Wellness and Consulting on this innovative program, which prioritizes authentic student voice over pre-packaged curricula.

Beginning in July 2025, Highroots Wellness and Peak Education assembled a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) featuring 16 students from across all four partner school districts. Over the course of a year, these young ambassadors met regularly to directly shape the program’s design and health topic priorities. Students explored nutrition, mindfulness, and neuropathic art, engaged with health care professionals including a rehabilitation specialist, community health worker, a physician, and a nurse. The students even designed and voted on the program’s official logo.

The student-led model has made a measurable impact: 100% of YAC participants reported a shift in how they view personal and community health. When scholars identified cooking, nutrition, and physical health as their top priorities, Highroots Wellness and Peak Education embedded those themes directly into the core curriculum.

A Framework Grounded in Community Data

To complement the students’ lived experiences, Highroots Wellness established a Community Advisory Council (CAC) composed of up to 15 healthcare professionals, educators, and local leaders. In April 2026, a joint session brought the CAC and YAC together to finalize a comprehensive curriculum spanning eight health topic domains aligned with National Health Education Standards (NHES).

This initiative builds upon evidence from a 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by Highroots Wellness, which highlighted a dedicated Health Navigator and a Youth Ambassador Program as high-impact interventions for local youth. By grounding the program in community data and elevating student leadership, Highroots Wellness and Peak Education are cultivating the next generation of health advocates.

Peak Education looks forward to deepening this partnership with Highroots Wellness and Consulting as the Youth Health Ambassador Program continues to grow in the coming school year.