To provide an opportunity for our youth to meet with their elected officials, we have changed up the schedule of Speak Hard.  If your group does NOT plan to participate in the legislative visits, we will offer programing at the Capitol Plaza during that time.  Please see the tentative schedule listed below.

Making the topic of youth substance abuse prevention relevant to a modern generation can be challenging.  However, the Youth Ambassadors have brought together a method of connecting with youth through popular online challenges and activities.  Learn to attract and excite youth to your cause with a few clicks of the mouse!

Youth Ambassadors

The Youth Ambassador Program is designed to empower the youth of today to be the substance use prevention leaders of tomorrow.  Through interactive exercises, comprehensive trainings, and targeted focus on community needs, the Youth Ambassadors develop materials and support regional centers and school programs to prevent substance use.

The presenter will use current data in substance abuse trends, and cross reference how mental health issues and medication are effecting this . He will also tell stories of addiction and break down incorrect stereotypes of addiction.  He will discuss how poor coping skills have contributed, and how we can improve this.

James Marshall

Coach Marshall is a substance abuse prevention speaker. He has spoken at 200 schools,workshops, colleges, PTO meetings, med schools, conferences, and town halls for the last five years. He has been published in many newspapers and journals . Coach Marshall founded Cody’s Gift in memory of his son.  You can find more information at codysgift.org.

Traffic crashes are a major cause of death for Missouri teenagers; primarily due to inexperience behind the wheel, lack of seat belt use, speeding, texting / distracted driving; and under the influence of a substance . Alcohol can play a major factor in teen crashes, especially during prom and graduation seasons.

The goal of a mock crash is to educate teenagers and young adults about the tragedy of traffic crashes and to reinforce the importance of seat belts, paying attention behind the wheel and to show the consequences of drinking and driving.

Harrisonville High School SADD students will present the steps they took to make a mock accident for their high school this spring. Their experiences and a video will be shared.

Roseann Hoffman, Advisor
Harrisonville High School SADD members

Harrisonville High School SADD is a group that works to provide education and prevention on issues with underage drinking, other drug use risks, impaired driving, and other decisions. They also work to deter drinking as well as drug use. They participate in activities such as Red Ribbon Week, Project After Prom, and special community service projects. They have hosted a recovery panel with recovering drug and alcohol users through the Cass County Drug Court. These individuals shared their amazing stories of abuse and recovery with HHS students to raise awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

The 2017 Social Policy II course is working with Representative Holly Rehder to develop an online advocacy campaign to pass HB 90 and SB 314 in favor of a Missouri Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. The purpose of this workshop will be to showcase their website and social media campaign. Youth will leave with a general understanding of website development and creating a grassroots campaign around a social problem.

Trenton Sims, Adjunct Professor Evangel University, Regional Program Manager at Enactus
Alyssa Wadlow, Project Manager, BSW Student at Evangel
Emily Bone, BSW Student at Evangel
Sarah Martinette, BSW Student at Evangel

The Evangel University Social Work Program received a policy-practice grant from CSWE (Council on Social Work Education), with a focus on the need for a PDMP in Missouri. The junior class of social work majors has addressed this topic in both their Social Policy I & II classes.

In these classes they have written papers about the PDMP debate, partnered with a local prevention organization (CPO), organized a Town Hall meeting regarding opioids in the Ozarks, designed a website for students for a PDMP, organized a community forum at a local coffee shop for students in southwest Missouri, advocated to local pharmacies about the need to take action, composed a PDMP song and are in the process of writing legislative briefs on the topic.

This workshop will provide a skeleton for student advocacy and leading a student group promoting prevention of alcohol, drug and tobacco activities. We will provide suggestions for prevention, education and alternative activities for students.

Kaitlyn Hilbert
Keelie Fothergill
Jordan Jennings
Ellie DeBacker
Sara Witteman, sponsor

Kaitlyn, Jordan, Keelie and Ellie are seniors and four year members of Bronco Smart. They have been involved in planning and carrying out activities for Bronco Smart. They have also led leadership opportunities for underclassmen at training sessions.

YAB members designed the Marijuana Jeopardy game to educate their peers and adults about the impact of marijuana use. Through group participation, audience members work in teams to compete to answer questions “Jeopardy” style. This interactive presentation both tests your knowledge and helps you learn new information. Participants will be quizzed on such topics as the effects of marijuana and statistics on marijuana sourced from reliable data.

Lee’s Summit CARES Youth Advisory Board

Lee’s Summit CARES Youth Advisory Board engages area high school students in advocacy and social media marketing to educate their peers and adults about the harms of underage substance use. In the past year, Board members have presented about the impact of prescription drugs, tobacco and marijuana to the Lee’s Summit City Council and Missouri state legislators.

Making a difference in the world can feel so overwhelming. How can I possibly affect change when there’s war, poverty, disease, famine, and so much more? How can one person possibly hope to make a difference?

In this talk, Kyle cuts through the doom and gloom to show students that not only can one person make a difference, but massive movements boil down to individual people working together.

Using personal stories, Kyle points to individual people who made a huge difference in his own life, and shows how each of us can make a difference in the lives of those around us.

With a perfect balance of humor and inspiration, Kyle shows students that it only takes one person to change the world, and each of us can be that person.

Kyle Scheele

Kyle Scheele is an inspiring speaker, writer, and youth expert who has challenged thousands of teens across the nation to live better stories.

When he’s not on a plane or a stage, Kyle is at home in Springfield, MO, where he lives with his beautiful wife Lindsay and their three awesome children. He’s still not sure how he ended up with such an incredible family, but he’s trying to lay low in case this whole thing was some sort of mistake. In his free time, Kyle enjoys reading, writing, and helping his kids build forts out of household furniture.