Youth Leadership Council

The Van Buren County Youth Leadership Council (YLC) is made up of middle school and high school students from both Harmony and Van Buren school districts.  The council was first developed with a focus of tobacco prevention and awareness and known a JEL (Just Eliminate Lies).  Since that time the group has changed it’s focused to include drugs, alcohol and tobacco prevention and awareness with the name of Youth Leadership Council.  This group has been very powerful as a youth lead and driven group.  They have been able to make many changes to the community including: smoke-free ball diamonds, helped with the keg registration, cleaned-up and planted flowers at the basketball courts and most recently help to create a tobacco-free city park in Keosauqua. Funding to help support the YLC program has come from a Community Partnership Grant from Iowa Department of Public Health held by the Van Buren County Hospital and the Drug Free Communities Grant from SAMHSA held by the Van Buren School District.  Since the DFC grant is finishing the 10 year grant cycle the only funding for the youth will be the Community Partnership Grant.  With this funding change the youth will be focusing primarily on tobacco prevention and awareness again during the school year. The youth are just starting to plan their year and have a number of great ideas they would like to complete.   You can follow what activities and the events the youth are working on by going to the SAFE Coalition website at www.vbcsafecoalition or on Facebook- Van Buren YLC Chapter.  For more information about the YLC program you can contact Melissa Daugherty at 319-293-3171 ext. 1271 or by email at Melissa.daugherty@vbch.org