Youth Impact NC
A group of youth met in Charlotte in May of 2022 for a Youth Prevention Leadership Summit. While there, they determined that forming a state coalition would be beneficial for North Carolina. They selected an executive team. They continued to meet virtually to discuss what they were doing in their communities. Each group was given an opportunity for a scholarship to Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s Leadership Forum. There, they attended youth prevention training, spoke to congressmen and senators, and even met a retired professional football player, Quincy Carter.
They started developing the infrastructure for the statewide youth coalition. Youth Impact NC was formed. They reviewed assessments and determined they would focus on underage drinking and opioid prevention. These are the two issues they shared with representatives when they attended Capitol Hill Day. They had two college-age ambassadors who have continued to be involved to develop their own and the state coalition. Brooks Valentine and Bain Brown have both been involved in their own coalitions since they were in their early teens. They have stepped into temporary leadership roles until they can pass the torch. They both want to continue serving in their own communities when the executive youth team is selected. The only current formal position is that of President filled by Clay County’s Lyndsey Evans.
After the leadership forum, the team started a digital environmental scan of North Carolina’s medication drop boxes. They scanned drop box sites and placed the locations on a map. The group partnered with NC State Bureau of Investigation, Imagery, Intelligence, and Criminal Analyst Katherine M. Schmidt and National Guard’s Counterdrug Nicole Smasham Lynch, MSgt. An interactive map was developed. The group will continue to implement communication about the need to dispose of opioids by distributing the map across North Carolina to leading organizations to share with their network. The next action will be to assess and identify places in need of more medication drop boxes. They will write a grant for five permanent boxes and develop MOUs with the needed organizations with direction from the Drug Enforcement Organization’s guidelines.
To address underage drinking, an ambassador and youth member met with the Executive Director of NC Police Chiefs, Bill Hollingsed. They shared their concerns about the lack of prevention efforts being implemented with social districts. He shared that he had police chiefs inquiring about social districts and would pass their concerns to them.
They have regular virtual meetings to continue to lay the foundation for a strong statewide coalition. They currently have participants from seven counties and are looking for more to join. They will meet formally at this year’s Teen Health Connection Youth Prevention Summit in May. This summit is open to any high school youth. There are scholarships available. Contact Kelly Teague, kelly@impactcarolina.org, if you are interested in participating with Youth Impact NC. Graduates and college-age students may also contact Kelly to learn more about prevention efforts in NC.