Elevate Youth encompasses many aspects including, building awareness on substance use prevention and increasing youth’s advocacy and leadership skills. Elevate Youth takes a unique approach by using arts-based activities to provide youth with positive outlets. As it is a youth-led program, youths’ opinions are highly encouraged and are the main drivers of the program. Elevate Youth hosted its first youth-led event in collaboration with Waymakers OC! During the event, Waymakers OC brought their expertise on impaired driving to help youth develop their project. Together, the youth created 10 questions for a game of Kahoot to play with their peers. Their project focused on bringing awareness to impaired driving. Three Elevate Youth participants were identified to lead the activity and practice their public speaking and leadership skills. Throughout the game, youth learned refusal skills, how substances impair the body, and much more. Elevate Youth staff are excited to provide more leadership opportunities for them and continue seeing their growth. Staff are extremely proud of them and cannot wait to see them become the leaders of tomorrow.
