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Who We Are

#IChampionHealth is a youth-centered health and well-being initiative part of the PREVENT Community-Engaged Alliance. We develop, support, and evaluate programs, resources, and partnerships that promote mental health, prevent substance use, and strengthen health and hope across Kentucky.

Our Focus

Through community-engaged partnerships with schools, community organizations, caregivers, and youth-serving professionals, we help young people build skills to care for themselves, support others, and share their unique voices and talents with their schools, communities, and future workplaces.

Our work focuses on:

  • Youth mental health promotion
  • Substance use prevention
  • School health education and community-based health promotion
  • Practical tools for caregivers and youth-serving adults
  • Near-peer leadership and future health workforce development
  • Community-engaged research, listening, and capacity-building
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Advancing Kentucky

#IChampionHealth advances Kentucky by educating young people, empowering current and future prevention leaders, and engaging partners in community-driven health promotion. 

Through this work, we:

  • Educate youth with evidence-informed lessons and activities that build practical mental health and decision-making skills.
  • Empower youth, young adults, caregivers, educators, and community champions to support youth well-being and strengthen Kentucky’s prevention and health workforce.
  • Engage schools, community organizations, and regional partners through listening, collaboration, and shared action.
  • Evaluate and share what we learn to inform research, strengthen best practices, spread promising approaches, and spark health promotion innovation.
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Live Like a Champion

Live Like a Champion is the flagship evidence-informed youth prevention curriculum from #IChampionHealth. Designed for grades 4-8, this four-lesson series helps students build practical skills for healthy decision-making, coping, help-seeking, positive relationships, navigating influences, and goal-setting.

Lessons are guided by best practices, grounded in theory, and shaped by community needs and experiences. The series brings these skills to life through real-world scenarios, relevant examples, creative expression, and personalized tools. The curriculum is aligned with national and Kentucky health education standards and can be delivered in schools, after-school programs, community organizations, faith-based settings, and other youth-serving environments.

Live Like a Champion Partner Portal

email us to partner

youth working on llc worksheet

Our Team

People - #IChampionHealth
Photo Contact Info
Melinda Ickes
Melinda Ickes
Professor, Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, & Community-Engaged Scholarship
Categories
Faculty
Location
205A Dickey Hall
Phone
(859) 257-1625
Email
melinda.ickes@uky.edu
Meagan Scott
Meagan Scott
Assistant Professor
Categories
Faculty
Location
170J Taylor Education Building
Email
mnsc240@uky.edu
Hester
Jakob Hester
Program Coordinator II
Categories
Staff
Phone
(859) 257-6076
Email
jwhester1@uky.edu

Additional Resources

988 | 24/7 Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and emotional distress. Call, text, or chat 988. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. 

KYnect Resources | Local Programs and Services

kynect resources helps Kentucky residents find programs to help with nee​ds such as food insecurity, housing and employment supports, support groups, health programs, and family-centered help.  

Kentucky 211 | Get connected. Get help.

Kentucky 211 connects people with essential community services, including help paying bills, finding food, locating housing, getting mental health help, and more. Call 211 or text your zip code to 898211 to get connected.

QPR | Suicide Prevention Training

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer: three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. Free QPR training is available for Kentuckians. 

Find Help Now KY | Treatment and Recovery Support

Visit Find Help Now KY to find mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, naloxone, and recovery housing organizations in Kentucky.