Students recently participated in the annual Use Your Voice student-let advocacy training, an event designed to empower youth to make a difference in their communities and prepare them for Prevention Policy Day on February 17.
Held on December 13 at Excelsior High School in Washougal, Use Your Voice brought together students ages 12-18 from around the region to shine a light on youth advocacy. Participants engaged in discussions on addressing issues affecting youth and explored ways to use their voices to influence lawmakers, even before they are eligible to vote.
“I think a lot of youth don’t know how much change and difference they can make,” said Samuel, one of the student leaders who attends Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. “Events like this are to tell them how they can take something important like prevention and put it into practice through policy making.”
The training, led by Teens for Tomorrow – peer educators for youth substance use prevention – was hosted in collaboration with Prevent Coalition and Unite! Washougal Community Coalition.
The morning session featured a Q&A with Washougal Mayor David Stuebe and Washington State Rep. Kevin Waters. Students asked thoughtful questions like, “How do you handle emergencies?” and “What are the most challenging parts of your job?”
Students met and asked thoughtful questions to leaders in the community
During lunch, students had the opportunity to play games related to the day’s themes. One activity was healthy risk-taking Jenga, which encouraged players to take positive risks, such as singing “Happy Birthday” to a staff member or answering reflective questions about their lives and experiences.
Students play healthy risk-taking Jenga during lunch
The afternoon sessions emphasized skill-building and collaboration. Students practiced speechwriting with an engaging warm-up: debating whether a bar of soap falling on the ground makes the ground clean or the soap dirty. Working in groups, students developed speeches reflecting passionate stances using a structured formula, then applied the same techniques to advocacy topics to advocacy topics such as cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol prevention.
When presenting to the group, participants also shared personal stories that emphasized these topics’ impact on youth. Student leaders demonstrated how to identify local representatives and guided attendees in crafting messages tailored to policymakers.
“I hope these participants learned that they have power,” said Kylee, a Teens for Tomorrow leader from La Center High School. “They are young, but they still have a voice.”
Fellow Teens for Tomorrow leader, Leo, has seen firsthand how important prevention is for their peers.
“As somebody who is in the queer community, I see how a lack of acceptance has led to so many of my peers going to harmful substances instead of finding support groups. I want to do my part to change that,” Leo said. “Oftentimes, it’s said that kids our age are lesser – too young to understand or make a difference, and that’s blatantly untrue.”
Use Your Voice is hosted annually in December by Prevent Coalition. Unite! Washougal provides the training facilities, supplies, and planning support for Use Your Voice. Funding is provided by the Washington State Department of Health, Dedicated Marijuana Account.
