PHC6451: Tap-In Resilience Youth Engagement Program

The TAP-IN Resilience Youth Engagement program will be offered throughout the week days from 8am-6pm for youth to spend their down-time engaging in healthy and positive interests and hobbies. Such interests can be in the form of sports, food and cooking, traditional art, creative interests, crafts, games, reading, and other enrichment hobbies. The program will also offer professional development workshops, STEM-related activities, and educational seminars about substance use periodically throughout the year. The purpose of these activities is to engage youth by exposing them to a variety of different hobbies and interests that can help to divert their attention away from engaging in substance use. We will gain community support by marketing the program at county meetings, tabling at prominent events throughout the community, guest lecturing for local middle and high schools, and connecting with community stakeholders that share similar visions. A growing body of research proves that youth are exposed to portrayals of substance use and such portrayals are correlated with subsequent engagement in substance use (Jackson et al., 2018). This program aims to recruit participants that not only includes youth, but also parents, caregivers, mentors, and other prominent adults in the lives of youth. We will utilize promotional materials to recruit participants via different forms of media (Instagram, Facebook, radio shows, newspaper advertisements, etc.) and in different physical spaces throughout Fremont County that include but are not limited to local schools, churches, community centers, libraries, and prominent youth spots. To kick off the start of our program, we will host a concert whose aim is for youth to pledge drug and alcohol free. Sponsored by our program’s anti-drug and alcohol media campaign, this concert would include performances by prominent musical artists and local community artists that raise awareness about substance use among this population.