Training Today, Changing Tomorrow: Youth Programming Update

This school year we’ve had lots of kids interested in getting involved in supporting local health initiatives.  Our director Mariah had the privilege of joining four awesome middle schoolers from Edmunds Middle School at a regional Getting to Y training hosted by Up for Learning at the Burlington Elk’s Lodge in October. Students learned how to understand the Youth Risk Behavior Survey data and pull out information they determined as important to share with their community. Keep your eyes out for another Community Dialogue night we host with our school district partners this spring where students will share this data with their community! 

We also partnered with the school district in November to send thirteen students from Burlington High School, Hunt Middle School, and Edmunds Middle School to the Vermont OVX Youth Leadership Conference at the DoubleTree in South Burlington hosted by the VDH Tobacco Control program. District OVX advisors Marissa Stokes and Heather Washburn as well as BPHC coalition director Mariah Flynn joined students to support them with snacks, fidgets and great enthusiasm for positive change! 

During the conference, students explored the risks associated with tobacco and nicotine use and discovered ways to make prevention initiatives fun and relatable. They practiced creative approaches to sharing prevention messages within their schools, particularly through social media and engaging video content. At Hunt MS students have begun working together regularly to create educational video content to increase awareness of the harms of vaping and nicotine use for young people that they hope to share with their peers and others in the coming year! 

What is OVX?
OVX, stands for Our Voices Exposed, youth program in Vermont focused on tobacco and nicotine prevention. The program empowers middle and high school students to educate their peers, families, and local officials about health risks, the deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry, and public health policies aimed at reducing use.

Interested in getting involved in our youth groups?
If you know a student who may want to join our youth prevention groups, encourage them to reach out to one of the Student Assistance Program Counselors (SAP) below from their school: 

Hunt Middle School - Marissa Stokes

Edmunds Middle School - Angela Halsted

Burlington High School - Heather Washburn