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MyNKA USA Youth Summer Field Trip and Cookout

Hosted by: My Neighbor s Keeper Alliance Inc.

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Please briefly describe your Communities Talk activity.

At MyNKA USA, we believe in empowering our youth to make healthy choices and reach their full potential. On July 20, 2024, we took 24 amazing adolescents on an eye-opening field trip to the DEA Museum. Through interactive exhibits and engaging activities at the museum, they learned about the dangers of substance misuse, particularly fentanyl. We even had a special visit from a real-life hero, Captain Christine Hyatt of the Prince George's County Sheriff’s Office. Captain Hyatt shared words of encouragement about staying safe, following dreams, and using social media for good. The trip ended on a high note with a cookout, a dodgeball game, a dip in the pool, and an award ceremony celebrating our youth workshop winners. We’re so proud of their creativity and commitment to a healthy lifestyle.  

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How does alcohol and other drug misuse affect your community?

Teens at cookout and award ceremony, celebrating youth workshop winners.

Violent crime among juveniles is on the rise, with most of these youth misusing alcohol and other substances. Parents need more awareness and sensitization as well to help reduce the risk of juvenile delinquency. The huge presence of tobacco and vape shops around the county strongly promotes and encourages tobacco use among adolescents, who are now seen vaping at a very young age.

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Which prevention strategy(ies), as defined by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, best fit your Communities Talk activity?

  • Community-Based Process Strategy - focuses on enhancing the capacity of the community to address AOD issues through organizing, planning, collaboration, coalition building, and networking.
  • Information Dissemination Strategy - focuses on improving awareness and knowledge of the effects of AOD issues on communities and families through “one-way” communication with the audience such as speaking engagements, health fairs, and distribution of print materials.
  • Problem Identification and Referral Strategy - focuses on identifying individuals who have infrequently used or experimented with AOD who could change their behavior through education. The intention of the screening must be to determine the need for indicated prevention services and not treatment need.`
  • Education Strategy - focuses on “two-way” communication between the facilitator and participants and aims to improve life/social skills such as decision making, refusal skills, and critical analysis.
  • Alternative Strategy - focuses on redirecting individuals from potentially problematic situations and AOD use by providing constructive and healthy events/activities.
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What goal(s) did you hope to accomplish with your Communities Talk activity?

  • Hold meetings or discussion groups on alcohol and/or other drug misuse prevention.
  • Start a youth-led coalition on alcohol and/or other drug misuse prevention.
  • Develop strategic plans to reduce and prevent alcohol and/or other drug misuse.
  • Build coalitions with other agencies or programs to reduce and prevent alcohol and/or other drug misuse.
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Did you accomplish your goal(s)?

Yes

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What challenge(s) did you face in planning your activity this year?

  • Needed additional resources to conduct activity
  • Lack of promotion/awareness of our activity or organization
  • Adapting to conducting a virtual activity
  • Due to the huge community response to partake in our event, we did not have enough resources or the capacity to accommodate everyone.
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How did you overcome these challenges?

We have been able to build more community partners and gained more ground in our communities, especially among the youth and parents. 

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What are your next steps?

Teens on a field trip at DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Museum.
  • Host follow-up meetings or activities
  • Create new action groups to tackle specific issues raised during our Communities Talk activity
  • Expand our coalition with new partnerships in the community
  • Create a public education campaign to raise awareness and/or change behaviors around underage drinking (i.e., create PSAs and other promotional materials)
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If you’ve conducted Communities Talk activities in prior years, how has your repeated participation contributed to progress in achieving your prevention goals?

We utilized the youth who attend our biweekly workshops to reach out to their friends and peers to come for this event. 

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Organizations that conduct Communities Talk activities often involve other organizations in the planning and execution of events. Please indicate which type(s) of organizations you involved in your activity planning.

  • Faith-based based organizations
  • Law enforcement
  • Charitable organizations
  • State and local government agencies (e.g., public health departments)
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Which of the following best describes the primary audience(s) for your Communities Talk activity?

  • Youth
  • Parents
  • Prevention specialists and volunteers
  • Youth leaders (e.g., coaches, parks and recreation personnel, and scouting leaders)
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How did you reach and engage your primary audience(s) to encourage them to participate in your activity?

We utilized the youth who attend our biweekly workshops to reach out to their friends and peers to come for this event.

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Which Communities Talk resources (or other SAMHSA resources) were most helpful for your activity?

Attendees on bus during field trip.
  • StopAlcoholAbuse.gov website
  • Communities Talk planning guides

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