Youth Leadership Through Adventure

 

  • Offers each participant a sense of belonging through service-learning projects.

  • Empowers youth to generate leadership, self-governance and to promote the health benefits of a substance-free lifestyle in schools and communities.

  • Improves school climate so that positive and healthy substance-free lifestyle choices are supported through practices and POLICIES.

  • Changes the community norms and culture where healthy substance-free lifestyles are promoted

 
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LEADERSHIP ACADEMIES

Leadership Academies are a multiply day experiential education training retreats in the wilderness.  

The focus is on developing the youth leadership skills and group bonding through immersion and challenge. All participants begin with immersion into the adventure group experience and exploration of adventure basics. Students will learn to understand their own leadership styles, how teams work, and how a group can perform more effectively. Students that participate in leadership academies are prospective YLTA students to prepare them for participating in their school's YLTA groups in the coming year.

CHEM-FREE EVENTS

These fun filled events are designed to bring the community and/or school together in a common cause. Events done in the past are; post-prom, post-graduation, parent outreach nights, and chem-free dances.

ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION

Environmental prevention projects are modifications to the physical environment that aid prevention such as; reviewing the school policy and making modifications, having a banner swap of alcohol banners at local merchants,  project sticker shock which is a buyers beware campaign, and having flush flyer and table tent campaigns in-school, highlighting the risks and consequences of use.

The common element to all of these components are that the students are taking what they learned at leadership academies, annual conferences and school group meetings and using it to positively impact their communities.

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ANNUAL CONFERENCES

Each year there are two conferences, one in the fall for High School Students and one in the spring for Middle School Students. The two day event focuses on developing participates leadership, public speaking, coping, self awareness, and relationship building skills. The conference topics, picked by the YLTA Youth Staff, always promotes the importance of a healthy chem-free lifestyle. The entire conference is facilitated by high school students, YLTA alumni and the guidance from adult staff.

KIDS IN PREVENTION RETREAT

Kids in Prevention (KIP) retreats are day long or overnight retreats for students in grades 5-6.  KIP was created as a mentorship opportunity for middle school and high school students to expand knowledge and build social and coping skills.  Workshops, small and large group activities are based off of experiential education methods, and outdoor interpretation workshops. Enhancing both a connection to nature and an increased sense of place. Conference topics include pro-social involvement, positive decision making, coping strategies, and dangers of substance abuse. Content is delivered by Middle and High School student facilitators from the same schools or future schools in that district, creating a continuity of the mentoring begun at the conference. 

SCHOOL CLIMATE PROJECTS

School climate projects are semester-length campaigns where student facilitators guide their classmates through a scripted series of activities in order to determine the areas for improvement at the school and come up with possible solutions. The student input is then put into a report that is given to administration for further action.

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

Service learning projects are activities that connects the students to their community through service. In the past students have volunteered at senior meals, Special Olympics, and have painted a recreation center.