Straight Up Ventura County Engaging Youth and Young Adults in Community Change

Transcription

1 Straight Up Ventura County Engaging Youth and Young Adults in Community Change Ventura County Behavioral Health Department, Alcohol and Drug Programs Ventura Unified School District, Ventura County AIDS Partnership

2 Straight Up Staff Katherine Kasmir Becky Haycox Jim Kasmir Roland Roberts Staci Brown Jace Meadows

3 Countywide Program (Smaller contracts outside the county & state) Straight Up Office Above Ventura Improv Company 34 N. Palm Street Downtown Ventura

4 Improvisation! Comedy Improv Reality Improv Applied Improv

5 Social Change Theatre Reality Improv Techniques

6 Underage and binge drinking in Ventura County Now also: Impaired Driving Marijuana Use RX Drug Misuse HIV/AIDS Tobacco Bullying

7 Environmental Prevention Holding young people solely responsible for underage drinking is like holding fish responsible for dying in a polluted stream.

8 Straight Up Workshops On high school, middle school and college campuses and with youth groups

9 Exploring local realities Community norms Access and Availability What happens at parties? What s going on between parents and teens? Social and media messages Risky behaviors

10 Identifying Desired Changes What concerns teens and young adults? What do they want to change? Too easy for kids to get Extreme drinking levels Drinking & driving Culture of unsafe sex Parties out of control Adult denial & hypocrisy

11 Ongoing Recruitment Flexibility Go to the youth Make it fun Many options available Communicate their way Community Service Hours Collaborate with other organizations Youth Projects Action Teams and Volunteers

12 Social Change Theatre Presentations, performances, interactive events and public speaking to support social change Example: Ventura College Fundamentals of Acting students develop interactive presentations for Health Classes

13 Presentations for Meetings Performance and community discussion about Underage Drinking

14 Video & Audio Production Engaging youth in Video production to support prevention initiatives PSAs & videos Podcasts Multimedia presentations Video Documentation

15 Tri-Advocate Video PSA Poster 1 Minute Speech

16 Writing and Video Contests Katherine with Haley Paul, one of the winners of the 2010 Straight Up writing contest See past video contest entries online video contest (in progress)

17 Community Assessments Interviews, Focus groups, Surveys Store Assessments, Bar Risk & Special Event Assessments

18 Media Advocacy Youth Spokespersons Training & Support speak to media representatives about events & news support law enforcement use of Social Host Ordinance, responsible alcohol sales Challenge local drinking norms Community discussion

19 Policy Advocacy Straight Up youth spokesperson Daniel Goodkin-Gold appeared in front of the Ventura Planning Commission to protest the new alcohol licenses under consideration. Brandon Freiberg also appeared in front of the Commission to protest the new alcohol license under consideration for the Target store. Thanks in part to his efforts, the license was denied.

20 Results: Nearly 40% Fewer DUI arrests!

21 Straight Up Leadership Summits Change of Heart Retreats Tri-Advocate

22 Prevention Game Show and survey tools

23 Website: Straightupvc.org

24 Straight Up Blog

25 Social Networking

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27 Reality Parties for Parents Photo courtesy Iris Smoot / The Acorn Newspaper

28 Reality Parties for Parents Increase adult understanding of the culture and environments Suggest family policies and change among adults to support change for our youth Social Host Ordinance

29 How do youth find out about parties and get away with going to them?

30 Access and availability

31 Drinking games

32 Marijuana, Rx & other drugs

33 Passed out pranks Risky Behaviors

34 Alcohol & Sex

35 We need your help Stop accepting underage drinking as a right of passage Stop providing alcohol to youth, knowingly or ignorantly Stop hosting teen drinking parties or allowing them to happen while you re away Stop allowing other adults to host teen drinking parties Set clear expectations and check up on your teens Get to know other parents and talk to them about what your teens are doing together To change this dangerous youth culture, we need your help to change the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of adults.

36 Debrief & Discussion

37 THANK YOU! Katherine Kasmir (805)