January Coalition Newsletter

Event: It's not just vaping, trends gaining steam among youth in Clark County. Learn what is a vapor product, why they are a problem for youth in our community and why we should care. January 30th 2019 from 3:30-5pm at ESD112. 2500 NE 65th Ave. Vancouver, WA. Contact Kelley.groen@esd112.org or call 360-952-3461.

January 30th from 3:30-5pm

-What is a vapor product?
-Why are they a problem for youth in our community?
-Why should we care?

Who: Community members, school administrators, faculty and parents.
When: Wednesday, January 30, 2019 from 3:30–5 p.m.
Where: ESD 112 Conference Center at 2500 NE 65th Ave., Vancouver WA 98661.

Join us for a community conversation with a panel of youth and prevention experts. Hear personal testimony from youth including a former user of vapor products turned tobacco prevention ambassador and youth who are witness to the upsurge in vapor and e-cigarette use among teens in Clark County. Together we will discuss the local trends and why we should care about the use of vapor products among youth in our community. Attendees are invited to engage in the conversation and will have opportunity to ask the panel questions with time to network at the end.

Moderator: Shane Gardner, Manager of School Safety and Security

Panelists:

Deputy Jason Granneman, School Resource Officer
Deb Drandoff, Director of Prevention and Youth Services
Sharice Lee, Student Assistance Professional
Maddison Langer, Tobacco Free Kids Youth Abassador

Brought to you by the Washington State Department of Health, Youth Marijuana Prevention & Education Program Funding.

A photo of three youth facilitators engaging the youth audience.

On December 21st, 2018 Prevent hosted the third annual Use Your Voice youth advocacy training in the Excelsior building at Washougal High School. Use Your Voice prepares students for sharing opinions and ideas with legislators and other decision makers.

The five hour training was developed, prepared and facilitated by three Clark County youth and young adults:

Jesse Jimenez is a Program Coordinator at Police Activities League of Southwest Washington. Jesse serves on the Prevent Coalition Steering Committee and is Chair of the Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Committee. Jesse was a speaker for the 2017 Prevention Policy Day rally in Olympia.
Bridgette McCarthy is a member and active volunteer with Unite! Washougal. Bridgette studies at Gonzaga University and is a General George C. Marshall Youth Leadership Award Recipient. Bridgette is nationally trained on advocacy and policy.
Madison Langer is a Tobacco Free Kids Youth Ambassador trained on advocacy and prevention in Washington DC. Madi works with Prevent Coalition and as a Clark County STASHA Peer Educator. Madi is excited to be a youth speaker at the 2019 Prevention Policy Day in Olympia.

Participants grappled with the question, "Should chocolate be legal?" gaining knowledge of the legislative process, turning ideas into policies, key terms, how to locate or contact Senators and Representatives, crafting persuasive messages for decision makers and some things to expect when engaging with legislators in the state capitol. Madison Langer shared the importance of including personal stories in messages, "'You want these personal stories to really make an impact. One of the things I focused on in Washington DC was making my story sound impactful and not just saying 'oh that was hard to deal with,' but then sharing what we're going to change to make a difference."'' Throughout Use Your Voice students moved around the room, worked individually and in teams and were given opportunities to present their ideas to the larger group.

Representative Paul Harris attended the second half of the event as well, sharing his experiences turning ideas into policies, discussing the political process and the importance of using your voice. Rep. Harris offered insight about the types of conversations legislators must have and the decisions they make in addition to answering questions from the youth audience and participating in a photo opportunity.

Around 70 youth registered for the training in partnership with prevention coalitions, school prevention programs and other youth/student groups. One student shared their biggest take away from the training saying, "It isn't as hard to get involved as some people might think." Another said after this event they want to "Speak out about problems in school and push to get things done. Be brave and use your voice!" Another summarized their experience saying, "Advocacy is a tool that can be used to voice opinions and ideas. It is important for the integrity of democracy." We are grateful for their feedback. Thank you to Unite! Washougal for offering the training facilities, supplies, photography and planning support.

After learning how to use their voice to make a difference participants were invited to engage with policy makers in Olympia during Prevention Policy Day taking place February 18th, 2019. Youth were provided with information and resources regarding initiatives that would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco in Washington to twenty-one, a policy on the legislative agenda for 2019. Limiting access is one environmental strategy for prevention discussed during the Use Your Voice training. Click to register for the event by Washington Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention (WASAVP) and use your voice with legislators.

Click to read the ESD 112 article.

Click to read the Camas-Washougal Post-Record article.


Representative Paul Harris shares his experiences turning ideas into policies, discussing the political process and importance of using your voice.	Participants made posters detailing the process of turning an idea into a policy, marking places where youth can get involved influencing the outcome.	Bridgette McCarthy teaches about the individual and environmental strategies of advocacy, starting with ideas for saving Washougal from an imaginary dinosaur attack.

Representative Paul Harris shares his experiences turning ideas into policies, discussing the political process and importance of using your voice.

Participants made posters detailing the process of turning an idea into a policy, marking places where youth can get involved influencing the outcome.

Bridgette McCarthy teaches about the individual and environmental strategies of advocacy, starting with ideas for saving Washougal from an imaginary dinosaur attack.


ESD 112 posted a news release to announce the training to the community.	The Camas-Washougal Post-Record covered the event in a news article.	West Van for Youth coalition says, "Youth in Clark County are change-makers. Thank you."

ESD 112 posted a news release to announce the training to the community.

The Camas-Washougal Post-Record covered the event in a news article.

West Van for Youth coalition says, "Youth in Clark County are change-makers. Thank you."

Central Vancouver Welcomes New Coalition

Temporarily named Central Vancouver Coalition hosted a community kickoff event on Wednesday December 19th, 2019 at ESD 112 consisting of three parts: a key leader orientation, general coalition meeting and town hall gathering.

ESD 112 serves as fiscal agent for the coalition, funded by a newly awarded Community Prevention & Wellness Initiative (CPWI) grant. The coalition serves the schools and community within the Fort Vancouver High School boundary line.

We're excited to announce the Community Coalition Coordinator, Katherine Zavala. Katherine received her Bachelors of Science in Sociology and a minor in Family/Human development from Arizona State University. This upcoming January, she will be receiving her Masters of Science in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis in Prevention. Between her education and work experience, Katherine has learned the core concepts of evidence-based services, interventions and strategies to promote community health. She is excited to be taking on this new role and is looking forward to collaborating with the key leaders and members of this community. Please join us in welcoming her to the prevention community and ESD 112 team!

Surgeon General's Advisory on E-cigarette Use Among Youth

On December 18th, 2018 U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an Advisory on E-cigarette Use Among Youth at a press conference in Washington DC. The advisory, prompted by recent skyrocketing rates of e-cigarette use by our nation’s youth, alerts parents, teachers and health professionals about new types of e-cigarettes and the negative health consequences of youth use of these products. The event will be archived on the Health & Human Services YouTube channel.

"I, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, VADM Jerome Adams, am emphasizing the importance of protecting our children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction and associated health risks by immediately addressing the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use. The recent surge in e-cigarette use among youth, which has been fueled by new types of e-cigarettes that have recently entered the market, is a cause for great concern. We must take action now to protect the health of our nation’s young people. KNOW THE RISKS. TAKE ACTION. PROTECT OUR KIDS."

Click to read more.