youth – Page 2

What If…? Discover Possible

What If is a 45-90 minute presentation designed to inspire middle school and high school students to look beyond their current situations and to ask questions about the potential their lives may hold.The presentation equips students with a tool to help them make good decisions. What If prompts students to begin to think about their lives from new perspectives through the use of engaging questions, creative thinking exercises and interaction among students and educators.

What If is about the present and the future. It is not about the past in any way. It is not about things beyond our control. There are no questions about “what if I was born a different person?” or “what if my parents were rich?”. We have been shaped by events of the past, and what has happened in the past cannot be changed, but the future is full of possibilities.

Main Presenter: Brad Lademann, Missouri AfterSchool Network

Brad Lademann is a dynamic speaker with 16 years of public speaking experience and 12 years of experience working with middle school and high school students. He has worked with teens in many capacities including teacher, youth pastor, coach, and mentor. Brad worked with Communities In Schools (CIS) as the supervisor of an after school program for “at-risk” middle school students as well as CIS site coordinator for a Title 1 middle school. He currently serves as the Resource Center Coordinator for the Missouri AfterSchool Network. Brad lives in Columbia with his wife, three kids, and one extra large dog.

Advocacy-Prevention That Works!

Advocacy can seem like such an overwhelming word. Our goal is to break it down into smaller pieces and give you ideas of what you can do to advocate. Come join us as we share proven prevention methods that can lead to positive changes in your community. We received the Community Health in Action Award and Coalition of the Year Award in 2015 for our Nicotine is Nicotine Campaign. We were also recognized for our involvement in raising the age of tobacco and nicotine product purchase/sales from 18 to 21 in Kansas City, Missouri in 2015 and Gladstone in 2016. We will discuss how education, social marketing campaigns, and advocating to key community members (including elected officials) can result in powerful prevention.

Main Presenters: Jordan Elder and Conor Henry, Youth With Vision

Jordan Elder and Conor Henry are the co-chairs of Youth With Vision. Youth With Vision is a student led organization made up of middle and high school students from Clay, Platte and Ray counties. Members strive to decrease substance use among their peers by putting education into action. These young leaders have gained local, statewide, and national recognition for their programs, and would love to share the knowledge gained from their efforts and campaigns with other youth groups across the state!

Marijuana: What’s the Big Deal?

This interactive workshop will allow participants to discuss the opinions that are most commonly shared among young people who have a low perception of risk regarding marijuana. The roundtable discussions will be followed by five targeted facts about the impact of this drug on the brain, mental health issues, use by teens, medicinal efficacy, and public health.

Main Presenter: Julie Hook, NCADA-STL

Julie Hook is a Prevention Specialist with the Eastern Regional Support Center at NCADA. She works with community coalitions in Warren, Franklin and St. Charles Counties to help implement Substance Abuse Prevention initiatives in those communities. Julie and her husband Fred live in Washington, Missouri, and have two daughters, Emily and Abigail. Their family also includes two dogs, two cats, and seven fish.

Beating Heroin Takes a Community

Heroin and prescription opiates are a difficult problem to tackle. As a result, individuals can feel overwhelmed. This presentation is designed to education students on how they can advocate both the legislature and organizations at home to take solid steps in combating the opiate epidemic.

Main Presenter: Brandon Costerison, NCADA-STL

An Alabama native, Brandon Costerison moved to Missouri in 2007 to work in electoral politics. In October 2015, Brandon took his same passion for helping those in need to NCADA, where he currently works as a Public Awareness Specialist, running the Curiosity and Heroin campaign.

Meet the 2016 Youth Ambassadors!

Kelsie Byars	Sophomore Morgan County R-II High School
	Kelsie is involved with her school through various activities, including Student Council, DECA, and German Club. She volunteers for several organizations in her community. She wants to education her community about the hazards of drug and alcohol abuse. She is active in the Morgan County CLEAR coalition.
Samantha Gunn	Junior Calvary Lutheran High School
	Samantha is the current president of her high school's SADD Chapter. She is also active in many other school organizations, including Key Club, FFA, and Basketball. She volunteers in her community. She believes that by promoting prevention, she can make her community a better place.
Lizzie Oxley	Junior Calvary Lutheran
	Lizzie is active in several organizations, including Key Club, FTA, and Basketball. She volunteers for many groups in her community. She is passionate about preventing alcohol abuse in her community. She is active in her school's SADD chapter.
Gunner Smith	Junior Kennett High School
	Gunner is active in his school and community, participating in organizations such as Band, Pep Club, and Student Council. He volunteers in his community for various organizations. He is passionate about prevention, and advocates for the prohibited use of abused substances. He is active in Smokebusters/Making Our Mark at his high school.
Brock Winslow	Senior Linn High School
	Brock is active in his school and community, and participates in a variety of activities, including FFA, baseball, and Student Council. He volunteers for many organizations in his community. He is committed to staying substance-free, and encourages his classmates to do the same. He is an active member of Linn TREND/SADD.
Camren Worthley	Sophomore Morgan County R-I High School
	Camren is active in his school, participating in activities such as FCCLA, Student Council, and FCA. He also participates in various community service activities. He is passionate about educating others on the dangers of substance abuse, specifically tobacco. He is active in the Morgan County CLEAR Coalition.
Joe Viebrock	Sophomore Morgan County R-I High School
	Joe is very active in various organizations in his school, including FCCLA, FBLA, and Student Council. He volunteers in his community for several projects. He is passionate about educating his community on the dangers of abusing drugs. He is active in the Morgan County CLEAR Coalition.

2016 Youth Ambassadors Attend First Training

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

2016 Speak Hard Keynote Announced: EPIC Assemblies

EPIC Assemblies is a professional touring group of 12 elite and diverse young artists who bring a powerful message to youth from coast to coast. They blend their personal life stories with artistic expressions like dance, drama, original music, spoken word poetry, video and inspirational speaking. They cut straight to the heart of the issues young people are dealing with today such as bullying, drugs, sex, self-image issues, suicide, cutting and self harm, abusive relationships, and violence- challenging the norm and offering hope through positive alternatives.

Speak Hard information and registration can be found here.

ACT Missouri welcomes new Youth Ambassador Coordinator

Chris Dzurick has been involved with the Missouri Youth Adult Alliance (MYAA) and ACT Missouri since his sophomore year of high school, when he reached out to the organization to help serve a need at his local school. He worked with the organization, attending Speak Hard as a workshop presenter and sharing resources with his school and community. Chris continued his substance abuse prevention work when he joined the staff of the Boys & Girls Club of Cape Girardeau, working with their SMARTMoves and MethSMART drug prevention curriculum. Chris is currently employed with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as the State Adviser for Missouri Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda. His passion for working with the future leaders is ingrained in his soul, and he hopes to make a difference in the outlook on America’s future.

Chris will lead a team of high school students in their efforts to promote substance abuse prevention within their schools, communities, and Missouri. He will provide leadership training, key data facts, and guidance at several events, including Prevention Day at the Missouri Capitol and the Speak Hard Youth Rally.

Second Annual “It Only Takes One” Campaign Concludes

The second annual “It Only Takes One” campaign concluded in May 2015, with three groups winning top honors. To take part in this campaign, schools had to register in the fall of 2015. Then, students from 42 participating schools were presented a free t-shirt after submitting a completed parent-teen driving contract to their advisors. The t-shirts proved to be an effective tool to get students talking about the dangers of distracted driving, but many of the schools did not stop there. Students and advisors carried this message out into the community – with posters, thumb bands, belt checks, and other materials that sparked conversation between teens and adults about safe driving practices. Almost 2100 students were impacted by the campaign across Missouri.

For their participation, McCluer North FCCLA received 1st place with a prize of $1,000, Cole County R-V School received 2nd place with a prize of $750, and Douglas County Health Department received 3rd place with a prize of $500. Members of McCluer North FCCLA had a display table at all lunch shifts with a student representative providing information and dispersing posters. They created several school announcements, conducted seatbelt checks, showed the Highway Patrol’s Distracted Driving DVD to 135 students, and collected 50 parent teen contracts.

The “It Only Takes One” campaign has been made possible by grants received from the Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.

ACT Missouri is the statewide training and resource center for substance abuse prevention. Through free trainings, brochures, and education, ACT Missouri works with all areas of the state to combat drug and alcohol abuse, especially among Missouri youth. ACT Missouri also serves at the state representative for national organizations such as SADD and The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

Contact Information:
Natalie Newville
Public Information Officer
ACT Missouri
428 E. Capitol Avenue
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 635-6669
nnewville@actmissouri.org

June’s #SubstanceFreeSaturday

Wow! It is already June! Can you believe it? With summer here, weekends are not nearly as exciting. You have all week to have fun and hang out with your friends! This weekend is a perfect time to celebrate the end of school with a trip to the lake, pool, or park.

If you are wanting to have a picnic at your destination, you can always pack sandwiches. Buy why not mix it up with some fun recipes that are perfect for outside? What kind of games do you like to play at the park? Horseshoes, washers, Frisbee golf? Or are you more of a sitting by the pool and swimming kind of person? Whatever you do outside, don’t forget the sunscreen!

Tell us how you like to spend your first #SubstanceFreeSaturday of the summer!

Taking ACTion to Build a Healthy Missouri