School’s youth prevention coalition thriving
The Headway Coalition is a group of stakeholders from the community with the common goal of addressing substance abuse and mental health issues with a focus on youth prevention activities. Headway helped create the Hesperia AUP (Awareness/Understanding/Prevention) Youth Prevention Coalition and they did not miss a beat starting off the school year picking up where they left off. They have been meeting weekly to plan out projects for the year ahead. In November, the group planned a lunch meet and greet in hopes to educate the student body on their presence on the school. AUP had special t shirts made to represent the group. Custom rubber bracelets were made to hand out to all High School and Middle School students on their lunch hour (along with a sucker). Music was played and students mingled with staff and each other on what AUP Youth Coalition is here for. The feedback was amazing! The assumption was that AUP Coalition was a vaping group since they did the Daniel Ament simulated bedroom project last spring. We explained that the goal of our Youth Leadership Coalitions in the school is to provide peer to peer education and support on Substance Abuse related issues within our district. During the event we had 3 new students sign up to join! Returning from the holiday break, the AUP hit the ground running with preparing for the community wide Marijuana Campaign. Signage was created and the AUP made personal posters on all substances to bring awareness to their peers. QR codes were added to all signage for anyone to scan and take them directly to the Headway Coalition page for resources. The group also came up with an interactive “selfie” door. “Don’t Get Caught in the Web of Drugs” #takeselfiesnotdrugsaup We asked some of the AUP group members why they chose to participate. Mia M. This project meant a lot to me, I feel it will really show our peers how much this kind of stuff (vaping) can affect them and their lives. I feel even the younger kids notice how much nasty things vaping can do to your body. I think that they really understood how much damage they were causing. This needs to be shared so everyone can see that vaping, even a little bit can hurt you greatly. We need to really emphasize to all students what is happening to their peers and themselves. As a student I would hate to see any of these things that happen to Daniel happen to any of my friends. I cannot imagine what Daniel is going through either. This project really helped show the students what they are ding and that they need to stop. Jenna B. The Headway group has taught me so much about the complexity of vaping. Such as the illness it causes, the chemicals in them, and the way vapes work. All of the members have learned about the common misconceptions related to vaping such as vape juice being “just water vapor” or vaping being “good for you/better than cigarettes”. Vaping is just as bad or worse than tobacco. Chris V. I feel like with my experiences in the group we have brought awareness and realization to problems with substance abuse. Maci K. -Hoping to change the % of teens that vape -Reducing the age of people who vape -Teaching teens how drugs can affect them This group means a lot to me because I know people who have struggled with substance abuse and it helps to know that we can help them stop. Alivia T. This group has taught me about the dangers of vaping. It has brought me closer to friends in the group. It also brought more awareness to the risks in general. Emerald E. This group has not taught me much I didn’t already know. Growing up my parents always worked hard to make sure I had common knowledge of substances. Not everyone has that common knowledge or support at home, so I am glad I am able to educate other kids so maybe they don’t hurt themselves without knowing it. Mady D. The project that we did really showed how much vaping can impact your life and how can change your life. I feel like watching students walk through the room and watching their faces showed how much they did not know what vaping could do to them. A lot of students believe that vaping is healthier than smoking, so they do it. Keagan T. I wish I would have joined this group earlier. I know a lot of people with problems in drugs and I want to know how to help them or help them get help. I think this project is doing an amazing job against the war on drugs. The walk through was very creative and I think it helped people see the damage smoking/vaping has on their lungs. For more information on Headway please visit their website: https://headwaynewaygo.org/
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