What's Happening

By ETR's Native Health and Wellness Team | April 22, 2025

At the heart of our work on the Native Health and Wellness Team at ETR is a commitment to empowering young people. We are invested in practicing youth-engagement models to develop advocacy skills and leadership opportunities to create lasting change in their schools and communities.  

Our Native Health and Wellness team is helping youth develop the tools they need to lead with confidence and make a difference through engaging trainings, mentorship, and hands-on learning and work experiences. 

By Khaila Thomas | April 21, 2025

Physical activity is a vital component in the development of a person’s life. From adolescence to adulthood, moving our bodies throughout the day can have positive effects on our sleep quality, memory, bone health, and more. Classrooms are not only a space to teach valuable skills, but to inspire healthy habits for a lifetime. Learn about the benefits of physical activity in class for students and resources to meet their needs.

By Fadya Abdullah | April 20, 2025

Since the mid-1980's, research has made it clear that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke can be detrimental to everyone’s health, including non-users. As recreational cannabis use becomes more accessible, we are seeing a rise in questions about the impacts of secondhand cannabis smoke. This blog highlights some of the potential health outcomes for adults, pregnant people, children, and pets, as well as cessation resources for people who may be interested in quitting cannabis use.

By Communities Energized for Health, a project of ETR | April 11, 2025

National Public Health Week highlights the importance of our work in addressing secondhand smoke exposure where Californians live, work, and play—because public health is all of us and it starts here. Projects and coalitions work tirelessly to protect communities from the impact of commercial tobacco. It’s important to inform individuals why smokefree policies make their communities healthier.

By Khaila Thomas | March 7, 2025

As young people grow into adolescence, they’re more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol while underage. Risk-taking is a normal component of adolescent development, which is why it’s up to trusted adults to have pivotal conversations that reduce the likelihood of harm and promote healthy behaviors. To prepare for conversations with a teenager about drinking alcohol, begin with these tips.

By Communities Energized for Health, a project of ETR | February 4, 2025

World Cancer Day is an international day observed every February 4^th to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and mobilize action to address the global cancer epidemic. For Communities Energized for Health (CEH), a project of ETR, this annual observance highlights the importance of our work in addressing secondhand smoke exposure where Californians live, work, and play. Healthy environments start at home, which is why smokefree multiunit housing is vital to creating a protective space for residents to thrive away from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 17, 2024

In an era marked by unprecedented challenges and rapid changes, the importance of strategic leadership and organizational resilience cannot be overstated. Earlier this year, after a year of encouragement, the ETR Board supported me taking a CEO sabbatical. The reflections and learnings from my sabbatical offered valuable insights into how such a practice can drive significant positive transformations within an organization, in addition to the personal benefits to me as a leader.

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | December 1, 2024

Every year in the HIV field, we lose many heroes. These may be people living with HIV (PLWH) who advocated for themselves and others (“nothing about us without us”), or changemaker allies who focused their talents on addressing ongoing inequities in HIV prevention and care, or people who reminded us that HIV (or any disease) is only one aspect of anyone’s life and reminded us that seeing our whole selves is core to our humanity. In 2024, we lost some greats who changed our lives and the lives of so many others who work in the HIV field and beyond. We highlight a few giants who were partners in ETR’s work and inspire us to keep up the fight.

By Khaila Thomas & Samuella Ware, PhD | November 25, 2024

For over 40 years, HIV prevention and care has been a public health issue at the forefront of implementing science-informed, and evidence-based initiatives to support the people most impacted by the epidemic. However, there is still vital work to be done in this space today. It is imperative to consider what techniques can benefit communities, action-based groups, and organizations working to reduce HIV for the people most impacted. In this blog, there are three vital strategies to consider for those working to end the HIV epidemic and support people living with HIV (PLWH).

By Sadie Spargur & Ravena Soto | November 21, 2024

Annually on the third Thursday of November, the American Cancer Society recognizes the Great American Smokeout. This event is dedicated to encouraging smokers to quit smoking for one day as a start to their smokefree life while reducing their cancer-risk. Smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year and more than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease. This heavily affects Native American communities since more than 1 in 4 American Indian and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) adults smoked cigarettes in 2020—that’s 1.5 times higher than the national smoking rate.

By ETR's Native Health and Wellness Team | November 20, 2024

At ETR, we recognize that achieving health equity among Native American communities starts by acknowledging their role as the original stewards of this land. We affirm our commitment to partnering with Native communities to address the many health disparities rooted in historical trauma, systemic oppression, and the ongoing consequences of forced displacement as they continue to shape the health and well-being of Native communities today.

By Ravena Soto | November 19, 2024

Staff from ETR’s Native Health and Wellness team had the honor of attending the first Native American Heritage Month parade outside of the California State Capitol. For this historic event, we were joined by our partners from United Indian Health Services and Redwood Valley Rancheria. The parade, hosted by the California Legislative Native American Caucus, came together with a sense of mission after months of planning and many miles of travel.

By Michael Everett, MHS, EdD | October 31, 2024

At its core, health literacy has a simple yet powerful goal: ensuring people can comprehend information about their health, which empowers them to identify risk and protective factors. As part of our larger organizational transformation, we’re not only refining our external science-based work but also reflecting on how health literacy applies internally to our staff’s wellness and growth. 

By Kristin Kennedy, MS, MPH, CPH | October 3, 2024

Our support for workplace affinity groups like the Queer and Trans (QTs) Affinity Group of ETR reflects our commitment to improving the health and well-being of youth and communities by championing science. These groups not only create safe spaces but also advocate for the well-being of historically marginalized staff, bridging civil rights activism with our broader health equity goals. 

By Tatiana Masters, PhD, MSW & Lauren Ranalli, MPH | September 26, 2024

The recent upsurge in mpox across several countries in Africa led to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a public health emergency of international concern on August 15th, 2024. Declarations of health emergencies are important, but they can also cause increases in anxiety and the spread of misinformation.  Research documents that misinformation escalates during health emergencies, as we saw in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and misinformation can have significant impacts on individual behaviors as well as community public health.

By Tanya M. Bass, PhD, CHES, CSE | Jessica Neupane, MPH, ETR | September 24, 2024

As public health practitioners, learning from experts is a steadfast method in upholding this theme. In the second edition of our interview series with Dr. Tanya Bass, we explore her journey, her proudest moments, and learnings working in the sexual education and reproductive health field.  

By Tanya M. Bass, PhD, CHES, CSE | Kelly Gainor, M.Ed, Jessica Neupane, MPH | August 30, 2024

In this conversation, Jessica Neupane, Marketing and Communications Coordinator at ETR, is joined by Dr. Tanya M. Bass, a national award-winning sexuality educator and subject matter expert in health equity and sexual health. Coined “The Southern Sexologist,” Dr. Bass is passionate about uplifting the lived experiences of public health practitioners in the U.S South, who often need to navigate political intricacies related to sexual health education that are unique to the region.

By Annalisa Cortez | August 29, 2024
Project Assistant, TCCC

ETR’s Tribal Community Coordinating Center provides culturally appropriate guidance and assistance to California Indian Tribes to access and implement tobacco related programs. Hear from Annalisa Cortez, Project Assistant, on her experience with youth leadership and advocacy efforts to improve Native health.