Join the Movement

Youth Engagement

• Brief History

• Making the Case

• The Youth Role

• The Adult Role

*Disclaimer*While this presentation focuses on tobacco

control programs specifically, and you’ll hear us say the word tobacco a lot, and

the CDC Youth Engagement User Guide is based on the Best Practices for

Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs, it’s only because that’s where

our funding stream is located.

*Disclaimer*We strongly believe in the utilizing the

youth-led/adult-assisted approach to address all issues or concerns

involving youth, whether it’s (ANY) substance abuse prevention programs, school

improvement plans or community group projects.

That being said…let’s get started!

Youth Engagement: A Brief History

• 1964 – 1990: Health Education– Give them the right information and they’ll make

the right decision

• Early 1990s: Life Skills and Peer Resistance– Influenced by social environment not statistics; – Need to INVOLVE youth recognized

Youth Engagement: A Brief History

• Late 1990s: Florida “truth” campaign– Important partnership in developing solutions

• Most recent:– Social Networking Sites for recruiting and

organizing– Smoking in movies addresses role of social

environment in smoking initiation

Youth Engagement: The Transition

From:- Problem to fix- Tokens- Individual focus- Education- Adults as Guides- Anti-Smoking

To:- Agents of Change- Community Partners- Community focus- Policy Change- Adults as Partners- Anti-Tobacco

Youth Engagement: The Transition

Works- Counter

marketing- Media Advocacy- Social Norms- Community

Approach- Policy Work

Under Review- Rallies- Peer Pressure

focus- Resistance Skills- Skill Building (w/o

opportunities)

Doesn’t Work- School only

approach- Information

Overload- Token Youth Seat

Youth Engagement: Making the Case

• History supports it

• Scientific Evidence

• Cost

• Sustainability

Youth Engagement: Making the Case

• Youth Are…– Advocates for policy change– Powerful voices– Targets– Energetic– Concerned– Creative / Innovative– CONNECTED

Youth Empowerment: The Youth Role

• Recruitment• Policy Advocacy• Media Advocacy• Community Engagement Activities• Fighting Pro-Tobacco Influences

The Youth Role: Recruitment

• Where to go?

• How to get there?

• When to appear?

• Then what?

The Youth Role: Policy Advocacy

• Youth need education and training– Key statistics– Policy issues (who the players are)– Approaching and Influencing the players– Media Literacy

The Youth Role: Policy Advocacy

• Policy initiatives should focus on supporting and reinforcing tobacco-free norms– Increasing retail price– Decreasing minor access– Increasing smoke-free ordinances

The Youth Role: Media Advocacy

• Used to advance policy advocacy projects

• Build community support for policies

• Capture attention to enhance efforts

The Youth Role: Media Advocacy

• Limited funding? No problem!– School publications– Earned Media– Guerilla Marketing– Partner with statewide advocacy groups

The Youth Role: Community Engagement

• Help shape the environment

• Deepen community networks

• Pool resources

• Don’t forget sub-communities!

The Youth Role: Fighting Influences

• We can’t out-spend them

• We don’t have a larger presence than them

• We aren’t everywhere that they are

The Youth Role: Fighting Influences

• Changing Social Norms

• Monitor and report industry activities

• Store Alert Projects

• SmokeFree Movies campaign

Youth Empowerment: The Adult Role

• Give authority and permission to act

• Enable ability to make decisions

• Help shift focus to Policy Change

Youth Empowerment: The Adult Role

• Act as the convener; make sure all parties are at the table

• Engage youth from conception to evaluation

• Facilitate youth involvement in community coalitions

Youth Empowerment: The Adult Role

• Find funding

• Assist youth in developing materials

• Provide forum for interaction

• Act as a conduit between the nay-sayers and the youth

The Adult Role: Focus on Policy Change

• Key Elements:– Sustained Funding– Commitment from Partners– Environmental Change

The Adult Role: Focus on Policy Change

• Focus on policy-driven deliverable

• Sync with community policy efforts

• Line up with statewide education/media

Contact Information

• Ruby Moore– rm72@txstate.edu

• Jennifer Steele– js42@txstate.edu

• Toll Free – (877)304-2727