Let's Talk

Youth Action Board

Vital Stats

Michelle B

Birmingham, MI

People Doing It20

The Problem

The Youth Action Board is a group of volunteer high school students from public and private high schools. The Youth Action Board colaborates to plan fun and substance-free activities for teens, works with police departments to create a positive community, and works with schools promote positive choices. The goal of the YAB is to provide youth with a positive voice and presence to peers and the broader community.

Plan of Action

In conjunction with my Youth Coalition I have taken many steps to accomplish the goals of a substance free community. Our biggest initiative is to provide substance free events for teens because if teens are at our events, it is obvious that they will not be using drugs or alcohol during that time period. This summer we had movie nights in the park each month and band jams regularly. Throughout the school year we have a winter battle of the bands where local bands can showcase their work in front of hundreds of teens. Each year we also have CHOICES, a teen lead dialogue where students from all schools in the community gather to talk about current issues and what we can do to improve our community. In order to make these events successful it is necessary to advertise effectively and get the word out. Thanks to advertising on the internet, our turn outs at our most recent events have been tremendous.