Turning Youth Energy into Positive Advocacy Success

Larsen, Derek

Friday, August 17, 2012: 8:00 AM

3501G (Kansas City Convention Center)

Mr. Derek Larsen, Masters in Public Administration (MPA) , Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation, Association for Nonsmokers - Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN

Dr. Scott Hays, PhD in Political Science , Center for Prevention Research and Development, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL

Ms. Barbara de Nekker, BA in Social Welfare , Tobacco Free Lake County, Lake County Health Department, Waukegan, IL

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation attendees will be able to:

Identify three ways an existing youth group can be adapted to include advocacy skills training and promote tobacco control policy.
List six components of an advocacy project that can be utilized to direct youth energy towards local policy change, including tobacco education, community assessment, policy research, local data collection, presentation and promotion.
Describe the details of three youth programs that conduct hands-on advocacy projects to promote tobacco control policy on numerous different issues including tobacco-free parks and smoke-free workplaces.

Cross Cutting Program Area(s): Tobacco Control Movement – Skills Building and Tobacco Control Policies

Audience: Health educators, coalition members, teens, and others working with middle and high school youth

Key Points: Participants will learn to capture the energy and enthusiasm of youth and direct it in a way that makes proven positive impact on public health—policy change. With just a little extra planning, existing youth group activities can be adapted to guide teens through a hands-on advocacy project they enjoy and that helps pass policies that make positive change in their community.

Educational Experience: Speakers from three different agencies will share the tools and time lines they used with teens and that resulted in the adoption of smoke-free workplace and tobacco-free park policies. The Engaging Youth for Positive Change curriculum has been implemented in 27 communities in Florida and Illinois. Tobacco-Free Lake County worked with youth groups in Illinois that helped get six policies passed in four years, and Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation worked on over 140 tobacco-free park policies throughout Minnesota. The advocacy tools shared are adaptable to promote a variety of public health policies and can be used with youth groups in various settings, including schools, faith-based organizations, girl/boy scouts, and coalition sub-committees.

Benefits: Incorporating a hands-on advocacy project provides tobacco prevention knowledge to youth and teaches them how to be actively involved in their own communities while promoting positive policy, systems, and environmental change through the adoption of tobacco policies. Media generated by youth’s activities also educates the general population on public health issues.