Cane River middle schoolers are choosing their passions and personal interests over drugs and alcohol. This chapter of Youth to Youth, an after-school youth empowerment program of Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH), hosted a school-wide art contest this past fall during Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s longest running substance use prevention campaign. The artwork submitted by Cane River students reveals what inspires and keeps them drug-free.
Additionally, PATH organizes programming for National Red Ribbon Week including bringing a nationally-recognized speaker to each middle and high school in both Yancey and Mitchell counties.
This past November, PATH invited Dr. Julia Garcia to be the featured presenter for Red Ribbon Week assemblies in both high schools and all four middle schools in Mitchell and Yancey counties. “Dr. J” offered her story of adversity and perseverance, being the first person in her family to attend college and doing so despite a serious sports injury, an overdose death in the family, and economic challenges. Through interactive demonstrations, including a talent show and a game of tug-of-war involving both students and teachers, Dr. J taught students the importance of seeking out help to achieve their goals and manage their struggles.
PATH encourages the participants of its youth programs to take the lead on Red Ribbon Week activities, using creative, youth-driven methods to support their peers in living meaningful, drug-free lives. The participants of Cane River Middle School’s chapter of Youth to Youth elected to host an art contest in their school with the theme, “I Choose ______, Not Drugs.” The purpose of the contest was to highlight the variety of healthy, drug-free outlets and pursuits available to young people.
Youth to Youth students created posters advertising their contest theme, prizes, and submission guidelines and hung them around the school. After the submission deadline, Youth to Youth students judged the submissions based on the quality of the artwork and adherence to the theme, choosing one winner per grade level. The contest winners include Kai Bena (8th grade) with “I Choose Pokémon, Not Drugs,” Dalton Hudgins (7th grade) with “I Choose Bob, Not Drugs,” and Abby Williams (6th grade) with “I Choose Love, Not Drugs.” The other submissions from Cane River Middle School students revealed what else students are choosing over drugs: Barbie, music, exercise, trains, dragons, drawing, and more.
PATH would like to thank the passionate, young leaders of all Youth to Youth chapters and our partners at Yancey County Schools for being a part of the solution to youth substance use.
If you’d like to enroll a student, volunteer, or learn more about Youth to Youth, visit www.appyouth2youth.org or email Tara Wright at Tara@pathwnc.org. To get involved with addressing substance use in Yancey and Mitchell Counties, visit the Mitchell Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force (MYSATF) Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MitchellYanceySubstanceAbuseTaskForce/ or email info@pathwnc.org and ask to join the Task Force mailing list. To learn more about PATH, donate to our organization, or volunteer with our many programs, visit www.pathwnc.org or call (828) 682-7899.
