Youth Worksop Descriptions

How Can I Communicate My Message?

Presenters: Chris Volkmann and Toren Volkmann

How Can I Communicate My Message? What can a teen tell others that will make a difference in drug and alcohol decisions? Considered a rite of passage, teenage drinking has skyrocketed to epidemic proportions, fostering a generation of youth whose lives are already beginning to come apart under the strain of alcoholism. Here are tools to help teens work with other youth making decisions about alcohol use. The authors of From Binge to Blackout , a mom and her 27-year-old recovering son, will use a PowerPoint tag-team presentation to discuss the choices offered our youth; the marketing of alcohol; parents' benign acceptance of heavy youth drinking and how to talk to them about not serving underage drinkers; kids' genetic maps for alcohol dependence; the vulnerable adolescent brain; as well as how to navigate around the nonchalance of government, family and teens towards public drunkenness and our alcohol-saturated culture. Teens in Action can make a Difference!

1. Participants will learn about the binge drinking scene from the side of a former abuser and learn why students might feel it's acceptable to binge drink. Expectations brought to campus by new students, peer influence, the media, and ‘social norms' (student perceptions of drinking behavior) will be considered along with ways to talk to students.

2. Participants will consider the influence of the adolescent brain and its development, genetics, and the effects of beer bonging and chronic heavy- drinking on students, their families, school campuses and communities.

3. Along with the difficulty of recognizing teen substance abuse, participants will consider the perceived stigma and how it stands in the way of seeking help, as well as learn ways to openly communicate about alcohol choices among youth, parents, and communities. Educating parents about youth alcohol risks will be discussed.

Preventing Youth Decay

Presenter: Shawn Martinez, Southern Oregon Drug Awareness

This interactive, entertaining, hands-on workshop is designed to help youth learn current alcohol, tobacco and other drug information and creative methods for sharing that information with peers and younger students. Participants should come to the workshop prepared to actively participate, learn and have FUN! The first half of the course will offer cutting-edge alcohol, tobacco and other drug information delivered in a creative and interesting way. The second half will involve participants learning interactive games, used to reinforce and share this information, benefiting their leadership skills.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn the key components of running a successful small group and how to identify leaders within the group

2. Learn valuable ways to creatively share learned information with peers and younger students and thus, go M.A.D.    "Make a Difference" on their campuses and in their communities

3. Understand the short & long-term effects of alcohol, tobacco & other drugs

The Y Project

Presenter: Youth to Youth International Teens, Javier Sanchez, Youth to Youth International

This interactive, youth led, multi-media presentation is designed to help the teens involved with coalitions get prepared to take everything they have experienced at the CADCA conference back into their communities. This is done through a fast-paced and fun presentation led by teen representatives of the Youth to Youth International program. They will be given practical tools and ideas for taking participation in their coalition to the next level.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand why it is important for them to actively participate in coalition work.

2. Identify practical and relevant projects they can get involved with in their coalition.

3. Understand four key strategies for getting your message to your target audience.

PAR for social justice: Inquiry, Advocacy, and Action

Presenter: Marlene J. Berg, Youth Action Research Institute (YARI), Institute for Community Research (ICR)

Youth and adult research-activists will provide an hour-long workshop based on our award winning Youth Participatory Action Research for Prevention approach. Youth PAR engages those who are most affected by an issue in defining it; conducting research using a series of engaging and cutting edge research methods; analyzing the results; and using the data to bring about change. Through engagement in the action research process, youth begin looking at their communities critically, becoming engaged in ways that enable them to make positive changes in their communities and build support networks of young people and adults. In this workshop, a youth-adult research-activist team will facilitate interactive activities to engage the audience as they learn to: 1) think about issues from an eco-critical perspective, 2) build a research model based on youths' theory of change, and 3) use research findings for advocacy and to create change.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand key aspects of Youth PAR

2. Consider how Youth PAR can be used in their communities

3. Understand how to use research as a tool for change

Exploring Prejudice

Presenter: Jessica Andrews, GUIDE, Inc. and the Georgia Teen Institutes

At a young age most people learn how to recognize differences more quickly than similarities, and how to dislike others who are not like us. This session will include activities and discussions exploring cultural diversity and prejudices in a safe environment in order to learn how to create safe spaces within your coalitions. As leaders, it is critical that we be culturally aware and develop critical thinking skills, openness to exploring differing ideas and a willingness to learn and practice new skills. Bring an open mind, as we will discuss critical diversity issues such as racism, heterosexism and sexism.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore personal prejudices in a safe environment.

2. Learn activities to use in a variety of settings and with coalitions to teach a variety of diversity lesson.

3. Identify ways to become more open minded or explore diversity in a way that is comfortable to them.

Message in the Music Hip Hop & the Media

Presenter: Marc Fomby, Fomby Training & Consulting

Let me introduce you to the world of Hip Hop and explore the lyrical content of music played over the radio today. We explore current trends by examining the messages that are openly displayed and sometimes hidden in rap. This training is Ideal for creative intervention strategies to facilitate groups, trainings, interventions, etc. by actively involving youth in the process of deciphering and dissecting the “ Message in the Music ”.

What is Hip Hop? Do you understand the music? Would you like to know what they're saying? There's a message in most of the music and we uncover it in this training.

Target Audience: Individuals who work with young people and are interested in utilizing the culture of Hip Hop Music to reach the youth. **Those interested in understanding what's being said in the music that's influencing the youth all across America .

Come with an eagerness to learn more about Hip Hop (Rap) and how it's influencing society today. Be prepared for discovery through exploration as this workshop incorporates music from the 1970's through today and its lyrical content. You may want to dance, sing, or listen. You may be disgusted and/or surprised… we may discuss your favorite song. All will definitely be enlightened. We will try not to play the music too loud. .

Learning Objectives:

1. Be able to identify lyrics from songs and define them.

2. Receive an introduction to the World of Hip Hop

3. Learn the latest terms and definitions of Hip Hop culture

4. Explore intervention ideas for incorporation in their neighborhoods

5. Become familiar with the culture of Hip Hop

Behind the Scenes: Coalition Building

Presenter: Carlton Hall, Arilea deCarvalho

So what do coalitions really do? A behind the scenes view of coalition building and we're taking them back to the basics. Everything a youth leader didn't know about coalitions they'll know by the end of this workshop. Everything from Assessment to logic models, and “but why's.” This workshop is an overview of CADCA's National Youth Leadership Initiative. Youth will be able to experience a brief version of what CADCA provides for youth training. Get ready to go behind the scenes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Be able to recognize the strategic prevention framework

2. Be able to identify community needs and resources

3. Be able to analyze problems and goals

The Seven Metrics of Integrative Youth Development (IYD) – The Wisdom of the Elders... /font>