MECHANICSVILLE — Enrollment is now open for the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority’s (ABC) Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project (YADAPP), a peer leadership program fostering healthy communities and the prevention of substance use.
“Peer-led substance use prevention is a proven-effective path for young leaders to take a stand to create positive change and promote healthy behaviors among youth in the commonwealth,” explained Katie Crumble, Virginia ABC director of Community Health and Engagement.
The annual program begins with a kick-off conference July 22-26 at Christopher Newport University. According to ABC, participation requires the registration of a team, including four high school student participants and one adult sponsor.
During the conference, students will attend topical workshops facilitated by peer leaders, hear from well-known motivational speakers, learn peer leadership and prevention best practices and develop Strategies To Act Now (STAN) plans to address substance use among their peers, ABC said. Teams compete for $250 mini-grants to use as seed money for their STAN plan and the $500 Wheeler Award to sustain their continued prevention efforts.
Enrollment is open through June 1. A $600 per-team fee includes conference materials, lodging and meals, as well as year-long coaching and support for adult sponsors as they aid their team in implementing its STAN plan throughout the school year.
Adult sponsors participate in their own track throughout the opening conference, according to ABC, and receive resources and training on topics to help them support their team. Adult sponsors are eligible for continuing education units and professional development hours, and law enforcement officers are eligible for partial in-service credits through the Department of Criminal Justice Services.
In addition to working on their prevention plans, students can expand their experience as peer leaders by applying for YADAPP youth staff positions and progressing through four levels of leadership with increasing responsibilities, ABC said. These levels start with the youth leader role acting as a guide for conference participants and build to the top level of serving as conference interns. YADAPP interns are young adults who spend 10 months planning aspects of the program including curriculum development and youth staff training.
Since its inception in 1984, approximately 450 different high schools and community organizations and more than 12,000 students have participated in YADAPP, according to ABC. For more information and to enroll, visit the YADAPP website
