The most successful prevention programs engage youth, families, and community members. Explore these resources to add to your program’s Afterschool Heals Tennessee action plan template. Don’t forget to share your successes with us!
Youth Engagement
- Generating Youth Power – A service-learning guide for people working with youth. By engaging youth in tackling real community problems, youth learn more, care more, and increase their own well-being and positive behaviors.
- Successful Youth Engagement – The U.S. Office of Adolescent Health has developed these 8 Tips for successful youth engagement with links to helpful resources.
- Lights on Afterschool – Involve youth in planning a Lights on Afterschool wellness event. This website offers tips for giving youth a voice no matter the theme.
- Relationships First – Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive
- Service Learning in Community Based Organizations – a practical guide to starting and sustaining high-quality programs
- Meth Destroys – Service Learning Ideas for Kindergarten through 12th grade to educate about meth and prevent its use
Parents & Caregivers
- Helping Your Child be a Responsible Citizen (Bilingual) – This resource provides activities that promote character development for youth of all ages.
- Count It! Lock It! Drop It! – Provides education on storage and disposal of opioids.
- Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers – These Top 10 Tips from the American Psychological Association are evidenced to help build resilience in youth.
- Operation Prevention – This toolkit for parents explains the brain science of addiction, recognizing the warning signs of opioid misuse in teens, and important medication safety tips.
- Safe Medicine Storage for Parents – Handout from UpandAway.org on keeping youth away from prescription medications.
Community-Based Resources
- Anti-Drug Coalitions – Find your local anti-drug coalition.
- Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists – These specialists can provide Narcan training to afterschool staff and/or families.
- Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth – Staff across the state can provide resources and support including training on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
- 3 Super Easy Ways Afterschool Can Support National Drug Take-Back Day – Here are three ways afterschool programs can promote prescription drug safety to prevent accidental overdose or prescription drug misuse.