Teens Advocating Prevention: Heading to D.C.

The Bay County Teens Advocating Prevention youth coalition has the awesome opportunity to go to the CADCA Leadership Forum in Washington DC!! We are trying to do everything we can to keep this trip completely free. Many of our students will not be able to attend if it costs money. Thankfully, our Prevention Network- C3 grant and a mini grant from MSHN will cover the majority of the cost. However, food expenses are another story. Bay County Prevention Network, the organizing coalition of Teens Advocating Prevention, is completely grant funded. Getting money for food with grant funding is difficult.

What is Teens Advocating Prevention? We currently have three chapters. One at Bay City Academy, one at Christa McAuliffe Middle School, and one main group who works on various things throughout the county. These teen leaders identify risk factors for their community (typically their school) and implement strategies to help their peers make healthy, drug free choices. Some activities include locker and door decorating competitions with drug free messaging, performing skits for younger students about medication safety and why tobacco is bad for you, a kindness challenge to help reduce bullying, and much more.

As you can imagine, helping to lead the way among their peers regarding drug free choices takes a special kind of person. The majority of our youth have been directly affected by substance use disorder in their family. This has led them to a passion for wanting to help others make healthier choices. Our students, who have not been directly impacted, tend to be caring and passionate individuals who want what is best for their peers. All of our students have seen the impact substance use disorders can have on an individual and the community.

The CADCA Leadership Forum in Washington DC is going to help our youth learn leadership skills, advocating skills, policy work, and offer the opportunity for our students to speak to state representatives and legislators (2 Senators and 1 member of the House of Representatives). Many of the students are very excited about this and already have great ideas for policy changes they would like to discuss with the politicians.

"CADCA’s Youth Leadership is committed to strengthen the skills and capacity of young people to influence positive change in the communities where they live, learn and grow. Knowing that young people are the best resource for creating this change, our motto is “Engage. Develop. Inspire.” CADCA Youth Leadership Initiative empowers over 1,200 youth yearly across the U.S. and abroad to fight drug use and other problems plaguing their communities. You can find more information about what is offered at the CADCA Leadership Forum in Washington DC at this link."

https://forum.cadca.org/chd

We are estimating it is going to cost up to $5,500 to feed the group for the week (22 people total, 2-3 meals a day for 8 days). Any help you can provide is appreciated. Let us know if you want to help with fundraising opportunities, funds, or other ideas. You can reach out to us to share ideas at [email redacted] or you can donate to this go fund me page and the funds will be used to support meals on this trip. If we have extra or leftover funds, they will be added to the Teens Advocating Prevention fund and will be used to support other Teens Advocating Prevention goals. Our goal right now for food is $5,500 . However, we are also selling candy bars to help raise funds towards this.

Thank you in advance, we, and our Teens Advocating Prevention Youth, really appreciate anything you might be able to help with. If you donate to this cause please contact us with the contact information provided here, or on our website. https://www.bcpreventionnetwork.com/ We would love the opportunity to properly thank you for your support.

What is Teens Advocating Prevention? We currently have three chapters. One at Bay City Academy, one at Christa McAuliffe Middle School, and one main group who works on various things throughout the county. These teen leaders identify risk factors for their community (typically their school) and implement strategies to help their peers make healthy, drug free choices. Some activities include locker and door decorating competitions with drug free messaging, performing skits for younger students about medication safety and why tobacco is bad for you, a kindness challenge to help reduce bullying, and much more.

As you can image, helping to lead the way among their peers regarding drug free choices, takes a special kind of person. The majority of our youth have been directly affected by substance use disorder in their family. This has lead them to a passion for wanting to help others make healthier choices. Our students who have not been directly impacted, tend to be caring and passionate individuals who want what is best for their peers. All of our students have seen the impact substance use disorders can have on an individual and the community.

The CADCA Leadership Forum in Washington DC is going to help our youth learn leadership skills, advocating skills, policy work, and offer the opportunity for our students to speak to state representatives and legislators (2 Senators and 1 member of the House of Representatives). Many of the students are very excited about this and already have great ideas for policy changes they would like to discuss with the politicians.

"CADCA’s Youth Leadership is committed to strengthen the skills and capacity of young people to influence positive change in the communities where they live, learn and grow. Knowing that young people are the best resource for creating this change, our motto is “Engage. Develop. Inspire.” CADCA Youth Leadership Initiative empowers over 1,200 youth yearly across the U.S. and abroad to fight drug use and other problems plaguing their communities. You can find more information about what is offered at the CADCA Leadership Forum in Washington DC at this link."

https://forum.cadca.org/chd

We are estimating it is going to cost up to $5,500 to feed the group for the week (22 people total, 2-3 meals a day for 8 days). Any help you can provide is appreciated. Let us know if you want to help with fundraising opportunities, funds, or other ideas. You can reach out to us to share ideas at [email redacted] or you can donate to this go fund me page and the funds will be used to support meals on this trip. If we have extra or leftover funds they will added to the Teens Advocating Prevention fund and will be used to support other Teens Advocating Prevention goals. Our goal right now for food is $5,500 however, we are also selling candy bars to help raise funds towards this.

Thank you in advance and we, and our Teens Advocating Prevention Youth, really appreciate anything you might be able to help with. If you donate to this cause please contact us with the contact information provided here, or on our website. https://www.bcpreventionnetwork.com/ We would love the opportunity to properly thank you for your support.