The Youth Ambassador Program is designed to empower the youth of today to be the substance abuse 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 abuse.

Ambassadors represent the following schools:

• Calvary Lutheran High School (Jefferson City)
• Kennett High School
• Linn High School
• Morgan County R-I (Stover)
• Morgan County R-II (Versailles)

The Youth Ambassadors meet once a month to discuss current problems in their areas and help achieve their mission to end substance abuse in their communities and Missouri.  Regular trainings and activities are scheduled with the discussions to enhance participation and understanding of subject matter.

The Youth Ambassadors met for their first training on January 7, 2016.  This dedicated group of six completed six exercises:

• Cause & Effect: Ambassadors matched causes of substance abuse to related effects
• Elevator Speeches: Ambassadors learned how to best spend their thirty seconds in an elevator to explain to someone what they do as an Ambassador
• Personal Mission Statements: each Ambassador learned that reviewing goals regularly is important in accomplishing them
• Bridge to Support: using everyday items, Ambassadors built a ‘bridge to support’ before learning how a combination of treatment techniques is most successful

• Cause & Effect, Revisited: Ambassadors determined the best treatment option for varying types of substance abuse
• Guess Who: Ambassadors reviewed real stories of substance abuse and pinpointed where prevention programs could have intervened

 MYAA’s Youth Ambassadors are the main catalyst’s for the prevention in underage drinking MYAA continually strives to achieve.  MYAA Ambassadors are hardworking, motivated students, who dedicate their time and their commitment to reaching out to their peers, their friends and others about the dangers of underage drinking and the benefits of abstaining.  Youth Ambassadors are role models to younger students and enjoy the confidence of believing in the fun and the empowerment of healthy choices and how important it is to support yourself.

If you know of a young person who would be great for the Youth Ambassador Program, or you are a young person who wants to get involved, the applications are open now, and close on May 4, 2015. Check out the Youth Ambassador website (https://www.actmissouri.org/youth-ambassadors/) for more information and to access the application when it becomes available.

Here are three of MYAA’s Youth Ambassadors and a little information about them.

Krista S., Kara, Raine, Krista O., and Tali

Tali Azar

Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield

• Reason why I am a youth ambassador: To be able to make a difference and better my community.
• Favorite subject in school: Ceramics because it relaxes me and allows me to be creative
• Favorite thing to do outside of school: I like to hang out with friends and family and get involved with my community.
• What we hope to do after high school: Go to college after high school and major in a career that involves helping others.

Raine Ryerson

Morgan County R-II High School, Versailles

• Reason why I am a youth ambassador: I love to serve others and being an ambassador helps me to give back to my community while also allowing me to be a positive role model for young adults.
• Favorite subject in school: Psychology. I love learning about how people’s minds function and how their thoughts can predict their actions.
• Favorite thing to do outside of school: I love to run long distance. I train all Winter for track season in the Spring and I also run 5k races competitively.
• What we hope to do after high school: I hope to either attend the United States Military Academy at West Point and major in Psychology, or attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis through an Army ROTC scholarship and major in Criminology.

Madeline Partridge

Eldon High School, Eldon

• Reason why I am a youth ambassador: To get the word out to my community that underage drinking and drug use needs to stop. I believe that the best way to stop underage drinking and underage drug use is if the information comes from the peers of the teenagers who are making these choices.
• Favorite subject in school: Any and all kinds of science. I find science so intriguing because every day we are finding new ways to save lives or a new species that we have never known before. Science is a way to figure out the ever-changing world around us and to better understand what we already know.
• Favorite thing to do outside of school: I love to play basketball! I spend most of my weekends and every day after school practicing with my team to get better.
• What we hope to do after high school: I am planning to go to college. Right now I am looking to get a degree in health sciences, but not 100% sure what I want to do yet.

 MYAA Project Director Chelsea, Kara, Madeline, Raine, and Krista S.

Each quarter we will be highlighting some of our Missouri Youth Adult Alliance Youth Ambassadors. To learn more about the Youth Ambassador Program or MYAA, visit our website.