1. Building & Sustaining Diverse Youth
Coalitions for Policy Change
Dacia Hudson, CHES, TEPP Program Manager
Christa Meiler, MPH, Health Communication Coordinator
Public Health in the Rockies, Vail, Colorado
September 16, 2015
2. Learning Objectives
• Learn to collaborate with youth serving
organizations by finding shared goals
• Learn youth engagement techniques to build a
more productive and diverse youth coalition
• Learn how to sustain and build trust to fulfill
the expectations of youth and your
organization
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
3. Background
• The El Paso County Public Health (EPCPH)
Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership
(TEPP) has been working since 2010 to
implement youth tobacco access policies in local
communities.
• Policy of interest: non-cigarette tobacco retailer
license
• Built and sustained a youth coalition to support
youth initiatives
• Target Population: Youth (Low SES/LGBTIQ)
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
4. Building a Youth Coalition
• Partner with youth serving
agencies that have shared
goals
• Set up meetings with
leaders
• Utilize existing partnerships
when possible
• Find a leader from each
agency
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
5. Community Partners
• Colorado Springs Community Centers
•Meadows Park
•Deerfield Hills
•Hillside
• Palmer High School
• Inside Out Youth Services
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
6. Community Partner Engagement
through Mini-grants
• Each agency was
offered $3700
• Training
• Statement of work
• SMART goals that
aligned with our
SOW
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
7. Youth Engagement
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
• Recruitment activities
• Food
• Incentives
• Promotional materials
• Constant guidance from TEPP
• Communication!
• Identify youth leaders from each group
• Let the youth lead and have a voice
8. Youth Engagement Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
• Come to them
• Dress down, no badge
• Feed them
• Step out of your comfort
zone
• Be genuine
• Communication!
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
14. Lessons Learned
• Support talents
• Connection
between youth and
decision makers
• Partner on events
outside the scope of
policy work – focus
on the relationship
which helps with
sustainability
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
16. Something to Remember….
BUILD
• BRAND
• UNITY
• INTEREST
• LEADERS
• DIVERSE
SUSTAIN
• STRATEGIC
• UNDERSTAND
• SUPPORT
• TALENTS
• ACHIEVMENTS
• INVOLVED
• NURTURE
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
17. Questions?
Get the facts. Protect our kids. Visit TobaccoTargetsYouth.org
Dacia Hudson, CHES
daciahudson@elpasoco.com
719.575.8989
Christa Meiler, MPH
christameiler@elpasoco.com
719.578.3239
Editor's Notes
-Dacia begins presentation
-Christa make sure to mention facilitation of 5 youth groups
DACIA
Learn how to educate youth to build capacity to address policy
Things our TEPP team has tried, used and found to be effective
DACIA
We have been successful in 2 communities; Fountain & Manitou Springs
Colorado Springs WILL be the largest municipality to pass this ordinance WHEN we are successful
Our major goal was to BUILD and SUSTAIN diverse youth coalitions
DACIA
Lunch! Coffee!
Build partnerships early!
Choose a leader that has a personal connection to the topic or is passionate about protecting kids!
Utilize existing partnerships
Utilize organizations with existing youth groups/ youth present at their agency
Note the Community Centers & Shared goals (improving the health of youth)
DACIA
Explain the importance of going TO the youth
Partnering with organizations that have established youth groups
DIVERSITY
Examine capacity of each organization
Note Inside/Out & TEC connection
Palmer HS and Community Service connection
DACIA
Note the PRE/POST Surveys were a mini-grant requirement
Explain Workplan/ required activities
Importance of training coordinators/ leaders
TEPP goals = Organizations goals
CHRISTA
Tables at youth events, club crawls, health fairs
FEED them (chicken nugget trays) - Partnering with Youth serving organizations were able to retain youth, throughout the entire process, that were engaged, committed, and passionate about creating change in their community.
Identifying strong leaders in each organization was imperative to the success of each youth coalition. Youth were able to gain valuable skills by engaging their community and decision makers.
They were involved in the entire policy process and were also given opportunities to participate in media creation and production. –
TEPP maintained commitment to each organization by collaborating on community projects and demonstrating a continued interest in common goals.
Youth play a vital role in the policy change process and are often overlooked as important stakeholders.
TEPP was provided continuous materials, being present at events, providing food,
CHRISTA
ex. Starbucks on a Sunday
BE uncomfortable
texting as primary source of communication
social media…
CHRISTA
Website screen shot (great resource for youth coalition parents)
Instagram (main method of communication outside of texting)
Note importance of social media
Facebook is for your mom…. It’s all about snap chat, instagram, twitter….
CHRISTA
Here’s one example of where our youth truly stood out!
- Filmed locally at one youth group’s high school
- Community engagement
Locally recognition
Great feedback from community members
CHRISTA
-Decision makers are more influenced by youth than adults, and if given the proper tools, youth can have a powerful voice that will encourage and promote policy change in your community.
- The El Paso County Board of health unanimously passed a resolution that encourages the Colorado Springs City Council to consider adoption of an ordinance requiring the licensing of retail businesses that sell non-cigarette tobacco products after the youth coalition members presented their photovoice
CHRISTA
La Tanisha wright was a former tobacco marketing manager that now is a fierce tobacco control advocate that we invited to speak to our community along with a panel of local experts on the topic of Predatory marketing and the effect of tobacco on our community.
- Decision makers are more influenced by youth than adults, and if given the proper tools, youth can have a powerful voice that will encourage and promote policy change in your community.
- Youth were proud to display their photovoice projects on this night, they were interviewed by local media and still tweet with la tanisha to this day
DACIA
Explain what to do after the $ is gone
Staying in touch/ involved with organization
DO what you SAY
Training/ Buy in from organizations
STILL have groups…. (Palmer and Tobacco free schools)
Inside/Out is creating a SWAT group at a new high school
CHRISTA
It was very important for us to celebrate our youth by supporting their talents and letting them speak freely about tobacco effect of their lives
Youth also were heavily involved with the media, by doing on camera interviews, starring in our PSA, and presenting their photovoice projects to the public which bridged the gap between youth and decision makers.
Another tip we have to sustain youth coalitions is to attend any events, health fairs, educational fairs or meetings that your partnering agencies invite you too. It is crucial to maintain the relationship to continue to align goals
CHRISTA
Youth are amazing because of their honesty, how candid they are with their responses, and their creativity in explaining how tobacco effects them, their communities and their economies
One of the most powerful stories that I heard was from a 14yo girl from one of our community center youth coalition. She told me she was failing school because of tobacco. I asked her what she meant and she told me that she lived in a 1 bed room apartment with her mom and grandma in the southeastern part of Colorado springs. She explained to me how she never had a quiet place to do her homework, and never slept well because of the “puff” “puff” sound her grandma’s oxygen mask made – her grandma was suffering from lung cancer after being a life time smoker.
DACIA - add if you feel compelled!
CHRISTA
- These are a few key words to remember when building and sustaining your youth coalitions. Please see the handout in your bags for a more detailed explanation
