#IChampionHealth
Overview
#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 centers around four prevention strategies:
- 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
Through the #IChampionHealth Chats Podcast, we also amplify the work and wisdom of local health champions through powerful stories, useful tools, and fresh ways we can all show up for ourselves and others.
ADVANCING KENTUCKY
#IChampionHealth advances Kentucky by educating young people, empowering current and future prevention leaders, and engaging partners in community-driven health promotion.
Our work centers around four prevention strategies:
- 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.
Through the #IChampionHealth Chats Podcast, we also amplify the work and wisdom of local health champions through powerful stories, useful tools, and fresh ways we can all show up for ourselves and others.
OUR Impact
#IChampionHealth Chats Podcast
Our Team
Dr. Ickes | Director
Dr. Ickes is a Professor of Health Promotion at the University of Kentucky. She received her PhD from University of Cincinnati in Health Behavior and Health Promotion in 2010. As a University of Kentucky Research Professor, Dr. Ickes has experience in college and youth health promotion, including tobacco prevention, and has worked with university and community partners to reduce the prevalence of emerging tobacco products among at-risk youth and young adults. Her research interests go beyond tobacco control, including community-engaged research, youth empowerment, substance use prevention, and evidence-based program planning and evaluation.
Jakob W. Hester | Program Coordinator
Jakob Hester is a lifelong native of Lexington, KY with roots in Eastern Kentucky. Hester serves as Program Coordinator for #IChampionHealth. Hester graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Education with a B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion and a M.S. in Health Promotion. His interests are in engaging with our community and partner organizations to support health for all. In his free time, you can find him outside exploring with my wife and son or immersing himself in music.
Our Partners
Funding
Current Funding
This initiative is funded by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission through the Office of the Attorney General. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this initiative are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission or the Office of the Attorney General. (July 2026 – June 2028: $198,906)
This initiative is also supported by funds from the UK HealthCare Healthy Kentucky Initiative. The contents and outputs of this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by UK HealthCare or the Health Kentucky Initiative. (July 2026 – June 2027: $50,000)
Previous Funding
This initiative was paid for with funds from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission by and through the Office of the Attorney General. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this initiative are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission or the Office of the Attorney General. (Oct. 2024-Dec. 2025: $380,572)
This project was supported by funds from the UK HealthCare Healthy Kentucky Initiative. The contents and outputs of this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by UK HealthCare or the Health Kentucky Initiative. (July 2025 – June 2026: $49,994)
This project was supported by funds made available by the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Office of Health Equity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, under RFA-OT21-2103. The contents and outputs of this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by the Kentucky Department for Public Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ($414,000; July 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024)