Students Taking On Prevention Help Their Peers

by Susan Weikel -- STOP (Students Taking On Prevention) is a program supported by the Churchill County Coalition that involves students from the high school and middle school in Churchill County.  These dedicated students volunteer their time to attend various meetings and prepare presentations that work to reduce the stigma of asking for help, focus on wellness, increase education, and address some of the root causes of suicide and substance abuse. Kadie Zeller, the coordinator of the program, has been working with these groups for over 2 years and says, “These kids are phenomenal. They volunteer so much of their time. Even if they aren’t members, many of them are willing to work with us.” The commitment of these youth to spread the word and make connections with their peers is commendable.  Most of the current high school students started their involvement when they were in junior high. Kadie is very proud of the civic mindedness the junior high students have shown this year. They started with substance abuse and then took on the task of raising funds for CCAPS and getting food donations. As the students participate in meetings and discussions, a sense of community builds. The program has been able to provide students with opportunities that allow them to use their voice to make changes. Two different groups of students were able to travel to Washington, D.C. for the CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) conference. In 2018, 5 students attended the conference, and in 2019, 6 students were able to have this experience. Students met with state and federal representatives during Capitol Hill Day and were able to give their “elevator’ speeches on what prevention means to them. This opportunity allowed students to be a part of the ‘system’.  Some of the students were also involved in presentations to the City Council that gave testimony as to why they didn’t want recreational marijuana in their community, and they were very involved with supporting Tobacco 21. Currently the students are working on a proposal for a community mural project that will involve the painting of awareness murals at various locations throughout the city. The students work to build a feeling of partnership with their peers. It’s not just learning to be leaders but also about learning how to interact with their peers in a nonjudgemental way. Meeting their peers on a common level allows for discussion that educates with respect for the differences of opinions among the youth of today.  The students focus on issues that will bring about changes in the cultural norms of their community.  Not all students are poster children, many don’t want to be, and some try hard not to be but connecting with peers on common grounds and discussing common struggles is important to all youth. As the program grows, Kadie hopes to see it extend across the entire educational spectrum, including elementary and college students, to become more of a Youth Advisory Council that provides a place where students feel that their voice is listened to, and youth are teaching youth how to make healthy decisions through education. STOP students will be taking part in the upcoming youth conference, The Embrace Summit, that will be held in Fallon on May 15^th-17^th. This year, participants will learn about building self-coping and self-care skills through techniques taught utilizing storytelling. The STOP students will also be presenting at the next Youth Working Committee meeting on February 26th at 8:30 a.m.         Sign up to receive updates and the Friday File email notices. Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon.