This Spring, 11 Lamoille North Youth Coalition (LNYC) students worked with Healthy Lamoille Valley’s Youth Coordinator to learn, practice, and co-facilitate a two-part workshop on substance awareness and decision-making skills for over 120 6th grade students in the five Lamoille North elementary schools.
Highlights from the Workshops
Students participated in a perception vs. reality activity about youth substance misuse in middle school.
From the students:
“I learned that the percent of middle school kids using substances is lower than you think”
“…only 5-7% of middle school students smoke marijuana, vape, or drink alcohol”
Students learned about addiction and brain development.
From the students:
“I learned that use of all of the substances we talked about are harmful to our developing brains.”
“…you can get addicted to it and it’s hard to quit.”
Students learned facts about vaping and watched videos of youth leadership in action including a PSA video about the risks of vaping produced by the Lamoille North Youth Coalition
From the students:
“I learned that I will never vape.”
“…why it’s bad for you to vape.”
Students learned decision-making skills and refusal strategies.
From the students:
“I learned about strategies for avoiding substances.”
“…how to get myself out of a sticky situation.”
“I learned different ways on how to refuse drugs and other substances.”
LNYC members and the youth coordinator led a small group activity where students discussed the decisions they would make in a potential scenario and practiced different refusal strategies when role playing being offered a substance.
From the students:
“I’m good at refusing substances.”
“I learned a lot about how to say no.”
Student feedback:
“The workshop was nice and fun!”
“I would like to join the Lamoille Youth Coalition in middle school.”
Youth Coordinator Brian Duda and members of the Lamoille North Youth Council