About Catalyst
Q: Who is Catalyst?
A: Catalyst is about action. From fighting back against Big Tobacco to promoting healthy eating – Catalyst is getting the message out through creative youth activism. Catalyst is a statewide network for youth advocates across Minnesota. The movement is committed to taking action to support positive public health change across the state.
Right now we are focusing on two key areas, healthy eating and tobacco prevention. Tobacco use and obesity are the two leading causes of preventable death in the U.S., so we thought this would be a good place to start. Our goal is to create change - change policies and change minds to help promote healthy eating across the state and to eliminate Big Tobacco’s influence in Minnesota.
Tobacco companies continue to stand in the way of smoke-free workplace policies and other efforts to protect public health, and they continue to contribute to the death of 1200 Americans every single day. And as if that wasn't bad enough, one in four adults in Minnesota is obese, and one in three is overweight. We know that preventing all of this means preventing tobacco use and encouraging healthy eating early on in life. These are just a few of the reasons why we are fighting back and involving high school students across the state.
If you need a few more reasons to get involved, just check out our "Key Issues" sections for healthy eating and tobacco prevention to learn more about why these issues are so important in Minnesota!
Q: What else does Catalyst do?
A: Catalyst does all kinds of stuff. So there’s something for everyone. Catalyst provides training opportunities to train members take action in their communities and together at the state level. Catalyst members can apply to serve on our Youth Advisory Board, and to attend the annual Catalyst Summit. We also provide presentations and other materials to help activists organize community events and recruit new members to start local Catalyst chapters.
Here are ways we engage students in promoting healthy eating and physical activity;
- To get healthy food students like in your school's lunch room
- To promote the healthy changes your district has made
- To get healthy food in vending machines, school stores, or concession stands
- To get after school activity clubs for students not interested in organized sports
- To participate in forming your school's wellness policy
- To do a food environment assessment in your community to see what your community needs to be healthy
We also have a program called Activate: U that has tons of different activities to engage students on this issue. Click on this link to learn more. (link to http://www.bethecatalyst.org/activateu)
So, if you want to do something different than anyone else, tell us, we’ll help you do it. That means whether you like to talk, draw, paint, write, organize, lead, listen or learn, Catalyst is for you.
Contact Us
Need help with something on Catalyst? andy@bethecatalyst.org
Phone Number: 651-270-6589
Mailing Address: 2942 Pleasant Ave S
Minneapolis, MN, 55408
Fax Number: 612-827-3031
- Andy Berndt - Program Director - andy@bethecatalyst.org
- Colleen Callahan - Asst. Program Director - colleen@bethecatalyst.org
