Disaster Relief From a Youth's Perspective | Aaron Shen | TEDxAlmansorParkStudio

Disasters cause sudden loss of life, yet young people are often left out of disaster relief discussions. This TEDxAlmansorParkStudio talk by Aaron Shen looks at how small acts, such as donating supplies, can give youth a voice in relief efforts. It presents the Public Health and Safety Youth Coalition (PHSYC), a youth-led initiative focused on public health, emergency preparedness, and community safety. According to the description, PHSYC has donated nearly 150,000 relief items since January 2025, including to communities affected by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, and has run 30 workshops across Los Angeles County.

• Why youth are often excluded from disaster relief discussions
• Small acts such as donating supplies as a starting point
• The Public Health and Safety Youth Coalition (PHSYC) and its donations and workshops
• A call for young people to become changemakers in their communities

Disasters kill in an instant. Yet, with the large magnitude and scale of this devastation, youth are always left out of the conversation. This talk explores how small acts of kindness—like donating supplies—can help youth reclaim their voice in disaster relief. Through starting the Public Health and Safety Youth Coalition (PHSYC), I show how youth can rise up to create tangible change and build with, not for, communities. It's a call to be the next generation of YOUth: students, advocates, and changemakers. Aaron Shen is the founder of the Public Health and Safety Youth Coalition (PHSYC), a youth-led initiative that promotes public health, emergency preparedness, community safety, and civic engagement. Since January of 2025, PHSYC has donated nearly 150,000 disaster relief items to communities affected by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and underserved families internationally, including Indigenous families in Mexico and Venezuelan earthquake refugees. Through 30 workshops across Los Angeles County, Aaron has empowered more than 430 Title I students with essential emergency preparedness knowledge. By advancing disaster resilience and equitable access to public safety resources, Aaron empowers youth to create meaningful change in their communities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx