Van Buren Students Attend National Youth Leadership Initiative Experience

Two Van Buren County Teens attended the CADCA Midyear and the National Youth Leadership Initiative Experience in Dallas, TX July 14-18, 2019. Lexee Fritz and Caylin Schmitt were selected by a team of adult SAFE Coalition members for the event. Their participation in the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) during the 2018-19 School Year and excitement to address Substance Issues in Van Buren County allowed them to be given the honor of attending this year.

           

CADCA's NYLI Experience is built on the framework of the National Coalition Institute's National Coalition Academy. In these sessions, both youth and their adult advisors learn how to help community coalitions be more effective in producing community change. The NYLI Experience helps coalitions build their capacity to foster youth leadership in the design, implementation and evaluation of action strategies addressing community problems. In addition, this training builds the relationship between the youth leader and the adult coalition advisor.

The participants learned about the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), logic models, strategic planning, developing interventions, advocating for change, evaluation, and sustainability. The NYLI Experience is a CADCA workforce development strategy that teaches what is required to create and nurture the growth of committed leaders and their work within coalitions. It better equips youth and adults to develop an action plan that clearly defines the strategies that young leaders will carry out to address the problems and goals that the coalition is striving to affect. While there was a lot of work they also had an opportunity to have fun and meet new people. A meet-and-greet event, a night at the resort water park, and dance were held where they were able to participate in events with other youth participants, the girls made some great friends from this experience.

           

It is an honor to be selected to attend this event. The coalition only sends two Van Buren County students when able based on funding and the participation of the youth in YLC. These teens should be commended for their hard work and dedication to their community!

For more information on the Youth Leadership Coalition or the SAFE Coalition please contact us at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or safe.coalition@van-burencsd.org.