by Mark Tran
We’ve all heard the expression “double bottom line” or even “triple bottom line,” meaning that an investment not only brings a return but also generates a second or third return, such as having a positive social impact.
What about a quadruple bottom line?
Invest in young people as activists on health issues and you may get a quadruple bottom line: a single investment that brings four times the impact. We’ll explore these impacts through examples from change efforts in City Heights, San Diego, which are being led by young people from various backgrounds, including Latinos, Southeast Asians and East Africans.
Impact No. 1: Health: When young people get involved in advocating for a healthier community, they become more aware of their own behaviors and take steps to get healthier. Take Leslie Renteria, a sophomore at Herbert Hoover High School. She got involved with the Mid-City CAN Youth Council in 2012. After joining, she cut back 90 percent of her soda consumption, and hasn’t had a soda in more than a month. Not only has she made personal changes in her life, she advocated for healthier food alternatives during youth meetings. To make that happen, she comes in before weekly meetings to help prepare fresh fruit for her peers. Better nutrition enabled her to make the varsity girls soccer team this fall, and has given her motivation to train even harder during the off-season in preparation for next year. For Leslie, a healthy community includes her home, her school, her soccer field, and her Mid-City CAN Youth Council meetings.
Read more at The California Endowment