Project UNITY and Common Health Coalition Launch National Incubator to Advance Youth-Led Public Health Innovation

Y-PHIC to Equip High School Changemakers with Funding, Mentorship, and Access to National Public Health Leaders

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, July 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Project UNITY, a youth-led nonprofit at the forefront of next-gen public health leadership, is proud to officially announce the launch of the Youth Public Health Innovation Coalition (Y-PHIC) — a national incubator designed to help high school students scale existing public health initiatives through structured mentorship, funding, and technical training.

Funded and supported by the Common Health Coalition, a not-for-profit of more than 300 organizations dedicated to improving the health system through strengthened cross-sector partnerships between health care and public health, Y-PHIC is a bold step forward in youth empowerment and public health innovation.

“The Common Health Coalition is proud to support the launch of Y-PHIC, an inspired initiative that positions young people as the architects of public health's future,” said Dave A. Chokshi, M.D., MSc., chair of the Coalition. “By investing in their leadership today, we're laying the foundation for a more equitable, partnership-driven, and responsive health system — built by the very youth who will inherit it."

A National Launchpad for Youth-Led Public Health Solutions

Y-PHIC is the flagship initiative of Project UNITY that equips the next generation of changemakers with the tools, funding, and guidance to tackle real-world health challenges and drive innovation in their communities. Through a curated curriculum, personalized mentorship from experienced nonprofit leaders and public health professionals, and expert-led workshops, participants learn how to measure impact, build sustainable partnerships, and effectively pitch their work to leaders across sectors.

“Y-PHIC is rooted in a simple belief: that young people are not only the future of public health, but they’re already leading it,” said Rotimi Kukoyi, Co-Director of Y-PHIC. “We’re creating the infrastructure for youth leaders to be heard, resourced, and positioned as equal partners in solving public health challenges,” added Sarah Guo, Co-Director of Y-PHIC.

Responding to an Urgent Need

With a projected 18 million global health worker shortage by 2030, the healthcare sector is in urgent need of innovative talent and bold leadership. Y-PHIC directly responds by preparing high school students to enter and lead the public health workforce from day one.

“Since 2020, Project UNITY has trained over 580 students across 25 states,” said Morish Shah (pictured) and Pranav Mehta, Co-Founders and Executive Directors of Project UNITY. “With the launch of Y-PHIC, we’re equipping high school students with the education and resources they need to confidently innovate — and become the healthcare leaders of tomorrow. Our vision is to mold Project UNITY into a national pillar for youth-led public health innovation.”

Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2025

High School Student Cohort

Y-PHIC is now accepting applications for its inaugural Fall 2025 Cohort. High school students actively leading public health nonprofits or health advocacy projects are encouraged to apply.

Selected participants will receive:
● Personalized mentorship from leading healthcare professionals and graduate students
● Expert-led workshops on topics like digital health, grant writing, and community engagement
● Microgrants to scale their public health initiatives locally and nationwide
● Access to pitch their projects at a national public health innovation showcase

Mentee Application: https://forms.gle/hP9BdDsYdPqcXmdq6 (Deadline - August 1, 2025)

Graduate & Professional Mentor Cohort

Y-PHIC is also seeking undergraduate or graduate mentors who have successfully developed and led a nonprofit or community health initiative and want to support the next generation of leaders. Mentors will guide student teams in strategic planning, evaluation, and stakeholder engagement. This is a unique paid opportunity to share your real-world experience and help young changemakers scale their impact. If you have not yet launched a nonprofit or community health project but are a graduate student in public health, medicine, policy, or a related field, you are still encouraged to apply.

Mentor Application: https://forms.gle/pn7WN3YG4bvNMUTAA (Deadline: August 1, 2025)

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About Project UNITY
Project UNITY is a youth-led nonprofit transforming how the next generation prepares to lead healthcare and public health. Founded in 2020, Project UNITY operates as a national innovation lab and training ecosystem where high school students, college students, and young professionals build solutions that address urgent public health challenges, tackle misinformation, and advance health equity. By combining education, mentorship, and scalable community innovation, Project UNITY develops interdisciplinary leaders at the intersection of medicine, public health, and digital health, equipping them not just to enter the system but to shape its future. Stay connected and follow our journey on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-unity-nfp/posts/?feedView=all) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/projectunity.nfp/), and join our listserv (https://subscribepage.io/3g5Pz7) to receive updates, opportunities, and ways to get involved.

About the Common Health Coalition (CHC)
Founded in 2023, the Common Health Coalition: Together for Public Health brings together leading health organizations in pursuit of a reimagined health system, one in which the nation’s healthcare and public health systems no longer work in parallel, but hand in hand, with better health for all as the common goal. The Coalition’s founding members are the Alliance of Community Health Plans, AHIP, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and Kaiser Permanente. It has grown to 300+ members. The Coalition is informed by an advisory council of public health leaders chaired by Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, and J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. The Common Health Coalition is hosted by the Institute for Public Health Innovation, a non-profit that builds cross-sector partnerships, promotes health equity, and works to create effective public health systems and policies that foster healthy communities. To sign up for CHC newsletters or learn more, visit commonhealthcoalition.org and follow on LinkedIn.

Media contacts:
Rotimi Kukoyi: Rotimi.Kukoyi@projectunitynfp.org
Diane Stefani and Jen Maguire: media@commonhealthcoalition.org

Rebecca Giglio
Common Health Coalition
media@commonhealthcoalition.org
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