Our Year at a Glance

Fall Training
September 

Fall Training in 2019

Fall Training in 2022

Over the course of two days, new and returning TFT members participate in an 18-hour training. This training helps us bond as a team, start strategizing for the coming year, create shared agreements, learn about effective youth drug and alcohol prevention strategies, make sure we’re all starting with the same solid foundation of prevention knowledge, and most importantly, have fun together! TFT members, Youth House staff, and community presenters provide workshops. This is our first opportunity to work together as a team and get energized about the upcoming year. It is fun, challenging, informative and exhilarating! We develop a strong understanding and connection with what it means to be a part of community change. Some example workshop topics include Risk and Protective Factor Theory, Identity Development, The Mental Health & Substance Misuse Connection, Equity and Inclusion, team building workshops, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES).​

Year-long Prevention Project
September

"We Are Still Learning Too" panel in 2019

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Each year TFT selects a project we think will have the biggest positive impact in our community, based on our knowledge of prevention research, local data, and youth needs. 

Some of our past projects have included a youth panel called "We Are Still Learning Too: A Youth-to-Youth Panel on Healthy Coping," a teen conference on mental health and prevention called "Teens Care Too," a workshop called "Good Friends in Hard Times" that we presented to classrooms, a social media campaign called “Find Your Good," a music video, developing a 30-day Healthy Coping Challenge for Instagram to share healthy ways to cope with stress without using substances called "Better You BINGO", creating and publishing this website you're reading right now & more. 

Teens for Tomorrow member helping grade schoolers at the Boys and Girls club during our Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest (2022)

Prevention Summit
​November

At Prevention Summit in 2019

Washington State Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) hosts a statewide prevention summit each fall, offering workshops to youth and adults on current prevention work and research. The conference also offers keynote speakers and time to brainstorm prevention project ideas. For us, the conference is an opportunity to network with other young people who are excited about and dedicated to prevention. We find it very motivating and inspiring to be surrounded by hundreds of teens who share the same passion about youth substance use prevention as we do. It is also an opportunity to learn and work alongside other prevention coalition representatives. Some of our favorite workshops have been the OP on Opioids and Prescription Drugs: Understanding Opioids and Being the Original You, Getting to the Truth about Marijuana, and Vaping Exposed. ​

Advocacy Training
December

Meeting with Rep. Paul Harris in 2019

In partnership with Prevent Coalition we facilitate and design a youth advocacy training called, "Use Your Voice", where we build confidence to share our voice on prevention issues and policies in our schools, city, county, and state. We learned how to make a difference with prevention and how to become an effective advocate for what we’re passionate about, how to build relationships with elected officials and their staff, and how the legislative process works. 

Prevention Policy Day
MLK Day in 2024

Speaking with Representative Brandon Vick in 2019

A WA Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention Coalition coordinates this day of service that connects youth with their state legislators. Youth prevention groups have the opportunity to share their voice with state legislature about prevention issues that matter to them, network, and celebrate their prevention work. At this event, we schedule brief meetings with local lawmakers to discuss prevention-related legislation, and to talk about current trends in Clark County. 
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In 2019, we chose to speak with our legislators about increasing security and restrictions on alcohol at all age events in order to reduce underage drinking, and specifically recommended:  Putting restrictions on where alcohol can be sold and consumed (e.g. beer gardens, separate seating for those 21+ that are purchasing alcohol in movie theatres), limiting alcohol promotional deals, and limiting enticing advertisements of alcohol products at all age events and venues. We also talked about increasing education for alcohol handlers (e.g., vendors and employees) on the dangers of underage drinking in order to emphasize its significance; and increasing regulation on who can enter an alcohol consumption zone (for example, making sure only those 21+ can enter beer gardens).

Washington State Spring Youth Forum
May

Group photo at the 2019 Spring Youth Forum

Often, we are selected to present at the Washington State Spring Youth Forum, which is held at Great Wolf Lodge (Grand Mound, WA). This forum, hosted by the Washington State Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, brings together some of the strongest and most innovative youth prevention teams from across the state. To present at this forum, about 50 youth groups from across the state submit an application detailing the work they accomplished within that project year. Projects and presentations are assessed for their innovation, sustainability, impact, presentation style & professionalism, and collaboration & partnerships. We always have a blast presenting our work and supporting other teams as they present their own projects! In 2019 we received the “Innovation Award” for our presentation on our prevention project, “Youth to Youth Panel on Healthy Coping: We Are Still Learning Too." Check out the "Our Projects" page to read more about our panel!

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