The Missouri Youth/Adult Alliance (MYAA) was established in 1997 with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The mission of Missouri’s Youth/Adult Alliance is to provide leadership and resources for the prevention of alcohol use by children and youth. One of the first events was when coalition members, famous athletes and local celebrities flew in a helicopter around the state landing on local high school football fields and doing events to get youth involved in the project. This was then followed up with a presentation on the Capitol steps to the Lieutenant Governor Roger B. Wilson of a cut-out of the state of Missouri with thousands of signatures of teens who support the efforts of the coalition and the need to fight underage drinking. MYAA facilitated a variety of programs, including the Youth Ambassador program, Red Ribbon Week, Speak Hard, advocacy days, and trainings.
In 1999, Using the MYAA slogan of “Impact Your World,” youth created a traveling banner printed “Impact Your World in 2000” with the goal of receiving 2000 signatures on the banner by the year 2000. They set up booths at shopping malls and high school sporting events. The youth asked people to support alcohol-free youth and to sign the banner in support of reducing underage drinking in the year 2000. The goal was achieved and the banner was unveiled during a media event in early 2000.
A Statewide Youth Summit was held in Kansas City in 2000 that created the promising approaches and summary report: “100 Youth—100 Days:” Reducing Underage Drinking in Missouri Through Policy Change
The Campaign to Reduce Alcohol Use by Children and Youth was begun in earnest in 2001. During the fiscal year, more than 40 campaign-related articles, op-eds and letters-to-editors appeared in Missouri daily newspapers. In addition, the Campaign and its mission was the topic of numerous radio and television call-in and interview shows. Also, the Campaign was featured in the Missouri Family Health Council newsletter.
An offshoot of the above campaign is 12 Mirrors 21, a public awareness campaign designed to bring attention to Missouri’s age of first use of alcohol (12.7). The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a pro-bono ad stating in part, “The Partnership for Drug Free Communities supports the Missouri Coalition to Reduce Alcohol Use by Children and Youth” in its Community Matters supplements.
In 2010, the first statewide virtual town hall on underage drinking in Missouri was held. The Missouri Youth/Adult Alliance collected questions via text, voicemail, email, and facebook from youth and adults across the state. Then, a panel was assembled that consisted of one policeman, prosecutor, councilor, recovery advocate, and youth. The five-member panel was recorded in Jefferson City, with a live feed going out over the website, chattrspace.com, making it available to be viewed, live, from anywhere, as well as checked out via DVD from our office, after the live event.
In 2015, due to a reduction in funding MYAA was absorbed into ACT Missouri. Many of the programs still continue, including the annual Red Ribbon Calendar contest, Speak Hard Youth Conference, and the Youth Ambassador Program.
The Missouri Youth/Adult Alliance (MYAA) was established in 1997 with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The mission of Missouri’s Youth/Adult Alliance is to provide leadership and resources for the prevention of alcohol use by children and youth. One of the first events was when coalition members, famous athletes and local celebrities flew in a helicopter around the state landing on local high school football fields and doing events to get youth involved in the project. This was then followed up with a presentation on the Capitol steps to the Lieutenant Governor Roger B. Wilson of a cut-out of the state of Missouri with thousands of signatures of teens who support the efforts of the coalition and the need to fight underage drinking. MYAA facilitated a variety of programs, including the Youth Ambassador program, Red Ribbon Week, Speak Hard, advocacy days, and trainings.
In 1999, Using the MYAA slogan of “Impact Your World,” youth created a traveling banner printed “Impact Your World in 2000” with the goal of receiving 2000 signatures on the banner by the year 2000. They set up booths at shopping malls and high school sporting events. The youth asked people to support alcohol-free youth and to sign the banner in support of reducing underage drinking in the year 2000. The goal was achieved and the banner was unveiled during a media event in early 2000.
A Statewide Youth Summit was held in Kansas City in 2000 that created the promising approaches and summary report: “100 Youth—100 Days:” Reducing Underage Drinking in Missouri Through Policy Change
The Campaign to Reduce Alcohol Use by Children and Youth was begun in earnest in 2001. During the fiscal year, more than 40 campaign-related articles, op-eds and letters-to-editors appeared in Missouri daily newspapers. In addition, the Campaign and its mission was the topic of numerous radio and television call-in and interview shows. Also, the Campaign was featured in the Missouri Family Health Council newsletter.
An offshoot of the above campaign is 12 Mirrors 21, a public awareness campaign designed to bring attention to Missouri’s age of first use of alcohol (12.7). The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a pro-bono ad stating in part, “The Partnership for Drug Free Communities supports the Missouri Coalition to Reduce Alcohol Use by Children and Youth” in its Community Matters supplements.
In 2010, the first statewide virtual town hall on underage drinking in Missouri was held. The Missouri Youth/Adult Alliance collected questions via text, voicemail, email, and facebook from youth and adults across the state. Then, a panel was assembled that consisted of one policeman, prosecutor, councilor, recovery advocate, and youth. The five-member panel was recorded in Jefferson City, with a live feed going out over the website, chattrspace.com, making it available to be viewed, live, from anywhere, as well as checked out via DVD from our office, after the live event.
In 2015, due to a reduction in funding MYAA was absorbed into ACT Missouri. Many of the programs still continue, including the annual Red Ribbon Calendar contest, Speak Hard Youth Conference, and the Youth Ambassador Program.