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​​Youth development a​ctivities empower young people to develop critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration skills as they promote healthy choices.

Recommended Strategies

Service Learning – Students engage in hands-on learning opportunities while creating a healthier environment. Some examples include cigarette butt clean-ups accompanied by information about the harmful impacts on the environment and participation in youth leadership groups, such as Friday Night Live.

Peer Education – Students serve as positive role models and impact social norms by informing their peers and community about tobacco prevention issues. Youth can become involved in events such as the Great American Smokeout, World No Tobacco Day, and other education campaigns.

Media Literacy – Students learn about tobacco industry advertising techniques and co-opt them to create anti-tobacco messages and publish them through multiple outlets such as posters, PSAs, and social media posts.

Advocacy – Students work with others to advocate for positive change in their community by addressing community leaders, learning about social determinants of health, and promoting awareness about tobacco-free policies.

Attempted-Buy Sting Operations – Students participate in programs such as the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act to raise awareness of tobacco laws among retailers and ensuring they are not selling to minors under 21.

 Partner Organizations Engaging Youth Statewide

CYAN logo
California Youth Advocacy Network

The California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) changes the tobacco use culture in California’s schools, colleges and universities, and other youth and young adult communities by providing knowledge, skills, and tools to create local change for healthier communities. They host numerous resources on ways to engage youth, information about training, and their annual youth advocacy conference on their website.

Resources:
🔗 Recruiting Youth: Where and How
🔗 Youth Engagement 101
🔗 Youth Development 101

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California Friday Night Live Partnership Logo
California Friday Night Live Partnership

The California Friday Night Live Partnership works toward positive and healthy youth development through engaging youth as active leaders and resources in their communities. Their primary goal is to form youth-adult partnerships with young people, to provide programs rich in opportunities and support.

Resources:
🔗 FNL Youth Development Standards of Practice

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Mikva Challenge Logo
Mikva Challenge

​Mikva Challenge created Voice, Power, and Action, a curriculum that aims to develop youth leaders through cultivating activism skills. Mikva Challenge also developed Project Soapbox for leadership skill-building and prompts youth leaders to speak out to their peers and neighborhood leaders on their issues and provide their own vision for community improvement.

Resources:
🔗 Menu of Actions: Paths for Change Resource

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Royer Studios Logo
Royer Studios

Royer Studios is an award-winning education and entertainment corporation with over 30 years of technical and creative experience in film, video, and animation production. Royer Studios is committed to youth empowerment through media arts, engaging young people in experiential se​rvice-learning projects and programs that involve animation and video production, audio production, and graphic design.

Resources:
🔗 Animate Your Tobacco Awareness Messages

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Music Notes Logo
Music Notes

Music Notes was started by a middle and high school teacher team, specializing in creating original, educational hip-hop songs and guiding students through the song creation process. Their Songwriting Program is designed to empower youth to create and share anti-tobacco messages with their peers. Visit the website for sample videos of anti-tobacco and anti-vape songs performed by Music Notes.​

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CATCH My Breath Logo
CATCH My Breath Service Learning Projects

CATCH My Breath empowers students to make a meaningful contribution to vaping prevention efforts building skills, like public speaking, event planning, advocacy, and more. CATCH offers guides for fundraising, advocating, communicating, and educating related to vape use prevention efforts. Students also have opportunities for scholarships through participation in service-learning projects.

Resources:
🔗 Service Learning Projects Flyer

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Boys and Girls Clubs of Fresno County Logo
California Decoy Program

​​​The California Decoy Program is based out of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Fresno County. They have regional representatives who recruit students statewide to participate in undercover tobacco attempted buy operations with local, state, and federal law enforcement.

Participants:

  • Must be 15-20 years old
  • Get paid $25-$50 just for applying and $10 per store
  • Receive help obtaining a state ID or Driver's License
  • Receive a letter of reference for work or college applications

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