Youth Empowered Solutions (Yes)

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2009 to Jun 30, 2010

Signed

Feb 10, 2011

Return Version

2009v1.7

Gross Receipts

$583,607

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Healthy Vessels: The Healthy Vessels program of YES! is a faith-based youth advocacy program designed to prevent childhood obesity in five counties in North Carolina: Anson, Robeson, Richmond, Montgomery and Scotland. The Healthy Vessels program staffs four part-time youth leaders to develop all curriculums, training materials and provide technical assistance to the five local youth teams. The Healthy Vessels program provides technical assistance to its partner counties to help them develop an understanding of youth empowerment and its impact on adolescent fitness and nutrition. This year, the team facilitated a national webinar for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on youth engagement; developed Nutrition 101, Physical Activity 101, Media Literacy, Youth Advocacy and Obesity 101 Trainings; and developed faith-based youth resources for the Fresh, the movie. In addition, the Healthy Vessels youth team created and implemented the Fit for Your Community environmental assessment tool. The participating youth groups assessed their environments and developed strategies for addressing their unique community challenges. The result was the adoption of 5 Eat Smart, Move More NC nutrition and physical activity policies in churches; the creation of 1 new community garden on church grounds (which gained positive news coverage); a sustainable walking guide for Hamlet, NC; and an overall decrease in fast food consumption in communities served. The assessment tool was shared with participants of the Southern Obesity Summit in Atlanta, GA, Alliance for a Healthier Generation and other organizations looking to use or replicate this tool for youth advocacy efforts.The Healthy Vessels program and the Youth Empowerment Model are being considered for replication in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas and Georgia. Lastly, Healthy Vessels has increased its visibility through online social media, and has started a video campaign on Facebook called, Define Yourself, Define Your Food.

Activity 3

The Answer: The Answer cultivates successful adult-youth partnerships that can effectively advocate for community changes that prevent underage drinking. It provides training and resources for the state-wide, youth-led movement to prevent underage drinking, Take It Back North Carolina. This year, The Answer conducted 13 training sessions. As a result of these training resources, 268 youth have been trained across the state of NC in content and skills that will be used in advocating for environmental strategies for preventing underage drinking. Training topics have included Alcohol and the Media, Health Effects of Alcohol, Public Speaking, Youth Advocacy, Writing Letters to the Editor, Recruiting and Retaining Youth Group Members, and Media Advocacy.The Answer has also created resources and made them available for adults who coordinate the collaboratives. Resources include: Talk It Up, Lock It Up: Why Youth Should be Included in Prevention of Underage Drinking. This guide includes a generic youth leader application, recruitment flyers, and a variety of how-to guides for educational activities that increase key knowledge youth have regarding the impact of underage drinking. In addition, the team conducted a day-long training attended by 20 adults in the NC PUD network in November 2009.The Answer has also provided technical assistance to the collaboratives within the NC PUD network. It has provided 97 instances of technical assistance which has allowed coordinators to access toolkits, forms for youth related administration, power points and activities that increase the capacity of young people in their communities to champion the issue of underage drinking prevention and advocate for policies that prevent underage drinking.

Filer

EIN

06-1813332