The Tompkins County Community Coalition for Healthy Youth (CCHY) proudly announces its graduation from the National Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Coalition Academy. The graduation ceremony was on February 8th during CADCA's 21st Annual National Leadership Forum in National Harbor, MD.

Representing CCHY at the graduation were Amanda Verba, Youth Development Director at TST BOCES and a CCHY board member, and Kris Bennett and Janice Johnson, from the Tompkins County Youth Services Department, staff to CCHY. They participated in three weeks of Academy classroom training over the course of a year with distance learning, web support and ongoing technical assistance from CADCA Institute staff. Combining collaborative group activities and instruction from top notch trainers, Academy participants learned about the core competencies and essential processes necessary to maintain a highly effective anti-drug coalition.  CCHY completed all three residential training sessions and five essential planning products that serve as the foundation of its comprehensive plan for community change.

“The Academy graduation ceremony is a way for us to celebrate the commitment, investments and accomplishments of the coalitions that worked diligently to become more effective community problem solvers through our program,” Kareemah Abdullah, CADCA’s Vice President of Training and Youth Programs and Deputy Director of Training and Technical Assistance for CADCA’s National Coalition Institute, said.

“These coalitions’ abilities to stick through and complete the program truly highlight their commitment to the tenets of community coalition work,” said Abdullah. “Others have attended the Academy, but these are the ones who excelled and crossed the finish line.”

The Community Coalition for Healthy Youth brings together Tompkins County parents, youth, and community partners to reduce youth substance use.  The Coalition includes representatives from youth service agencies including our schools and individuals who are concerned with young people using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. One of CCHY’s major contributions is conducting a bi-annual survey, now in all six Tompkins County school districts, of students in middle and high school to gauge both trends in youth substance use and the impact of CCHY’s work.  The coalition has initiated a number of activities to raise public awareness of the dangers and the preventative practices regarding substance use including media messages, presentations, an annual letter to parents of graduating seniors and a sticker shock campaign.  Other initiatives include a youth-led Above the Influence media campaign, organizing local unwanted medication disposal events, and a pharmaceutical abuse awareness campaign in medical, dental, veterinary offices and pharmacies.

For more information about the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, visit www.heathyyouth.org or call  274-5310.