YEA! After-school & Summer
Starting the Tuesday after Labor Day, we began our after school programming. We reached out to families to see what best accommodated their needs. We separated the participants into two groups to maintain social distancing. This program ran Tuesday through Thursday from 2:15pm to 4:00pm. We offered a healthy snack and mentorship in the form of homework help each day before doing a craft or game. We ended on the May 13th, 2021 and began to prepare for YEA Summer Camp, which began on June 1st, 2021.
June 1st was the start of YEA Summer. We met Mon through Thursday from 11:30am to 2:30am. We employed high school students as our Youth Staff. We started with three and as our participant numbers increased, we grew to seven. The first week of June our numbers were small, we did not have more than ten participants but by the end of July we had upwards of thirty. We conducted a survey at the end of June where 75% of the participants reported they enjoyed YEA Summer camp. Some of the top areas they enjoyed were the field trips and spending time outdoors with friends and staff.
Teen Leadership Conference
TLC this year was implemented in full day events at each individual school for whole grade levels. These events consisted of older students from the school district sharing prevention education with younger students in small group settings.
This curriculum consisted of anxiety and depression: signs, symptoms and stats; coping strategies for each; and how to choose friends and create a support system. The day also consisted of fun activities such as dancing, energizers, scavenger hunts, relays and competitions all planned by our youth led teams. We were able to implement TLC in 6 schools this year and reached over 390 students: Rock Hill Elementary 5th grade, Dawson Bryant Elementary 5th grade, Ironton Elementary: 5th grade, St. Lawrence Elementary: 5th & 6th grade, Symmes Valley Elementary 5th grade, Chesapeake Elementary 6th grade.
These days were a huge success with students gaining knowledge, skills and attitudes about mental health. 89.8% of participants stated that during TLC Day they learned more about mental health challenges, like anxiety and depression. 86.7 % of students reported that they now know things to do that can help when I am depressed or anxious.
92.7% of students stated they can be there and help others who are feeling depressed or anxious.
YOUTH-LED PROGRAMMING
During the 2020-21 school year we were able to sustain youth-led programming in the following schools: Chesapeake High, Dawson Bryant High, Fairland High, Minford High, Rock Hill High, South Point High, Ironton St. Joseph High. We also were able to create new youth led programs in Portsmouth West High, South Webster High, STEM, and Symmes Valley Middle. These youth led teams planned Red Ribbon Week events, TLC in school events and participated in our Virtual Summit led by our Youth Council.
RED RIBBON WEEK
In October, we at Impact celebrated Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is designed to help schools and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs. A group of youth- led students, from Ironton St. Joseph and Rock Hill High, first reached out to the county commissioners and requested that they proclaim the last week of October Red Ribbon Week for Lawrence County.
Impact staff worked with youth-led teams and planned assemblies and in-class small group lessons for Dawson Bryant Elementary, Ironton Elementary, South Point Middle, St. Lawrence Elementary and Ironton St. Joseph Middle and High schools.
Over 1300 students participated in Red Ribbon activities. They learned the story of Kiki Camarena, discussed how to create a good support system, practiced prescription drug safety and had drug free fun with their peers and role models!
Botvin LifeSkills Program in the schools
Impact Prevention is so thankful to our schools for allowing their students to again participate in Botvin Lifeskills Training in the 2020-2021 school year. School staff and Impact Staff were very creative this year, teaching Botvin virtually, in person and even some hybrid classes. During the school year, over 900 students from the following schools participated in Botvin LifeSkills lessons: Chesapeake Middle, Dawson Bryant Elementary, Fairland Middle & High, Ironton Elementary, St. Lawrence Elementary, St. Joseph Middle & Symmes Valley Middle & High.
One of the many goals of Botvin is to help students understand their self-image and self worth and how it affects future goals and decision making. To gauge our success in this area we survey our students both before and after they participate in the lessons. Before participating in the Botvin Life Skills Program, 75% of the students reported they agreed that what we believe about ourselves affects the way we act or behave. After completion of the program 88% of students agreed with the statement.
Botvin LifeSkills Program training of School Staff
We at Impact Prevention believe so strongly in Botvin Lifeskills Training Program that we have two staff members who are Trainers of Trainers. During the 2020-2021 school year, our staff trained over 200 educators and administrators in both Lawrence and Scioto County. Participants reported after attending this training they had increased confidence in their ability to implement the Botvin Lifeskills Program. They also portrayed that this training helped them to see the importance of not just this program but prevention education in the classroom setting. Impact staff will be working with several schools in the coming school year to help teachers to implement Botvin in their classrooms.
YOUTH Summit
Our amazing youth council members planned and implemented a virtual summit. This summit focused on anxiety and depression: signs, symptoms and stats and strategies to help yourself and others. Our high school council members also planned fun and interactive break out rooms for students to mingle with students from other schools. Over sixty high school students from Dawson Bryant, Fairland, Rock Hill, Minford, Portsmouth West, STEM, and St. Joseph, attended this virtual event. 94 % of students stated that attending this virtual summit increased their understanding of the signs symptoms and statistics of both anxiety and depression. Even more importantly, 96% of students reported that during this event they were introduced to coping techniques to reduce anxiety and depression.
Southern Ohio Network- Regional Learning Collaborative
In order to create strong youth-led programming, Impact Prevention understands the need for adult allies that support and encourage our youth. During the past school year, our staff planned and hosted meetings with adult allies from several different schools and agencies. These virtual meetings allow adult allies to meet and learn from other adult allies with varying amounts of experience in the field of youth led programming.
