Did you know that over 93% of all employed veterinarians in the U.S. are white?
The Youth Veterinarian Initiative (YVI) serves as an introduction to veterinary medicine for underserved minorities aged 9-17 who are underrepresented in the profession.
Through our online activities and our in-person summer camp, we are working to reverse the racial disparities that currently exist in the field.
Launched in June 2021 by WIF and the Philanthropy Alliance Foundation, YVI encourages minority youth across the U.S. to consider veterinary medicine as a career path and introduce them to general practitioners and veterinary specialists who “look like them.”
From June to December 2021, we recorded 15 online sessions with veterinarians, veterinary and pre-veterinary students, and other professionals who work with animals. Youth from across the U.S. and as far away as Uganda attended these sessions.
Danielle Corbin, 6th grade educator at South Bronx Early College Academy (SBECA) in Bronx, NY, has created a 40-week curriculum that uses our recordings. She is now teaching this as an official elective at SBECA and will not only use it for the benefit of the students at her school, but also share it with additional schools in New York and New Jersey.
Two youth community service organizations – one national and one in Houston, TX – have also expressed interest in using parts of the curriculum.
The year 2022 is off to a great start, with presentations by collaborative partner Sherita Herring-Oglesby of Oglesby Acres – the property where our August 2022 summer camp will be held, and Dr. Valerie Marcano, co-founder of collaborative partner Pawsibilities. Additional speakers on our spring roster include Dr. Mariana Pardo (emergency medicine), Dr. Patricia White (dermatology and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine), and Maya Sullivan (veterinary school applicant).
To request notifications for our biweekly online sessions, click HERE.
To view previously recorded sessions, click HERE.
