Washougal Youth Win Award for Community Prevention Work

Washougal School District Youth have won an scholarship award to attend The Spring Youth Forum at Great Wolf Lodge, May 13 and 14th. This scholarship will pay for forum attendance, lodging and meals for six students. These students are part of a group of  UNITE! coalition members that helped plan and organize the recent Let’s Draw the Line Community  survey and Above the Influence Project.   They have been meeting since January to organize an event to encourage youth to become more aware of the marketing strategies that affect youth alcohol consumption.

The event was held April 25th at River Rock Church, and featured a Community Assessment of Neighborhood Stores, an Above the Influence activity that encourages youth to create their own personal brand, as well as music and prizes donated by the community. The students surveyed 10 area stores to get to know their community and see how product placement of  alcohol and tobacco affects  purchase by youth. They also received training on advertising awareness as part of Maddie Gregory’s Washougal High School’s Senior Project. Maddie and her team shared their desire to work with local retailers to create a healthy community for youth.

This award will allow 6 of the youth team to attend to allow the Spring Youth Forum to give a presentation about Let’s Draw the Line and attend a conference to learn about prevention projects throughout the state. The youth team that developed this project are Maddie Gregory, Michael Stevens, Carson Connors, Sydney Mederos, Sammie Mederos, Bridgette McCarthy, and Scott Anderson.

For more information about UNITE! please visit their website.  The Unite! Community Coalition meets the 4th Thursday of every month at 4:30 pm at East County Family Resource Center, 1702 C. Street, Washougal.

For more information about other prevention efforts in our state, please visit the DHSH website.