“Empowering Youth Voices: Insights from Vibe 18 Ambassadors on Drug Prevention and School Leadership”
Welcome back to the Party Talk Podcast. I’m your host, Jake White for vive18. And today, I’ve got some special guests with me. These are our Vive 18 ambassadors. They have gone through a semester long internship program, we’re kind of in the middle of it. And today was super fun. We got to look at some videos we put together, kind of serving us and PSAs for social media on how to stay drug free. So we’re fresh off of that part of our meeting.
Introduction of the Vive18 Ambassadors
And now you are gonna get to meet the amazing David, and Jordan. All right, let’s start. Jordan, how’re you doing today?
I’m totally good.
Awesome. And you just had your audition right before this.
I did.
That’s awesome. And I’m glad it went super, super well, David, how you doing?
Doing great. Doing great as always.
As always. It’s right. It’s all your outlook. So let’s start with this. People haven’t met you before. Hopefully, maybe some friends are on here. They have met you. But let’s start with you. David, tell us a little bit about you where you go to school? What you’re into that kind of stuff.
All right. This is gonna be a long list. I am ASB president. I am a vice president for my class. I mean, three clubs, FSA, FCCLA, and FBLA. And I was a three sport athlete. I dropped basketball the past few years. What else? I’m team captain for both track and football. So yeah, kinda just basically do everything. It is very outgoing. Very, very fun person to be around.
Yeah you are. That is incredible. And somehow have time to also be a Vive 18 ambassador.
Gotta balance my work life, yeah.
Well, it sounds like you had to, you had to choose between some stuff to you know, to get to not play basketball on the team. But I’m sure you still play with friends and stuff. Enjoy it. But you kind of had to pick out what are gonna be your priorities.
Oh, yeah, for sure. Especially my senior year. Well, I wanted to this year. This is my senior year is my last year of high school. But I just want to focus on my academic sport during that winter break. Because apparently, my teachers been telling me that I have a lot of things do it like, do, like projects due around that time. So I was like, Okay, I’ll make space for that.
It was important. That’s yeah. All right. Jordan, let’s talk to you tell us a little bit about Yeah, you where are you from what you do enjoy all that good stuff.
Okay, so, um, Jordan. Well, yeah, they know that. But um, I enjoyed it. And I live in Missouri, and I’m the president of ADAPT. Alcohol and Drug Prevention Team. The clubs I’m a part of our adapt. That’s means, which is like, international drama team. I’m a part of my choir. I’m a part of sale, which is like our you take people around the highest my high school. And I am a part of think that’s it. Right.
That is awesome, though. We’ve got the theater expert, Jordan. Yeah. The sporting expert, David. And they are both have chosen to be a part of their local coalition and prevention Club, which I think is just incredible. And you were both at CADCA. This was funny right before the call. David remembered that Jordan was in the talent show at CADCA in Dallas, Texas.
Yeah, because that’s, I saw that clips like, “Wait, I remember her singing up there.” So that was her then all that a realization? Yeah.
As Jordan is blushing Oh, it’s so good.
Oh, man.
Hey, well, you, Jordan, you made the most of that CADCA experience. You’re like, hey, if they’re doing something I admit it.
Yeah, I was not even on the correct hotel either. So
“From Prizes to Passion: The Journey of Vibe 18 Ambassadors in Drug Prevention and Leadership”
I will let’s do this. I would love to hear more about how you got into being a part of your prevention club, like how you were invited, and why you said yes to it.
I can go first. So I’m going to I, I joined a ADAPT because my high school we at the beginning of the year, we had this whole group of clubs. And they want freshman, sophomore, junior and seniors to go through them all. I was a freshman at the time, which was only last year. So I’m a sophomore now. And I we got to go through our thing, the booth, and there was this big spinning wheel that had these prizes on it. I spun it, I have no idea what I got. But I put my email and my name down my school email. So that wasn’t important, but and then they contacted me, which was the only I put my email down so many times, they’re the only people who contacted me. So I heard about pizza, I cannot have pizza, but I wanted to have the candy. So I joined to be honest. And I got a Starbucks gift card because I did not I did not know what I got originally. So I got this $10 Starbucks gift card. I joined not just because of the candy, my friend definitely joined because of the candy. And I joined because I wanted to make a change my school because in my opinion, our freshmen at the time. I don’t know the freshmen now but our freshmen at the time felt like a really drug and alcohol on a lot of like everybody used it. So that’s what I just I wanted to fix that. That I was I was the only one who came to the meetings every single day. And then at the end of the year, I was nominated president and then this year, I got to do.
So you were entered to win something you want to gift card. And you also saw a need for for the mission, right? To reduce drug
I really do want to add on is to get your prize, you had to come to the meeting. up out of like, let’s say like 100 people like spun the wheel, the you got the prize, you just had to come to the meeting and only five people showed up. So I got to choose whatever was left. And there was a lot of stuff left. So now we have it for this year and next year and the year after that.
Okay, that is a great detail. And I’m glad you said that, that is so clever. That if you just give a prize to everyone that would be so expensive. But then to say, hey, come claim your prize at the meeting, then they actually come and get to experience the club and you see who’s dedicated to who wants to go for the right reason. That’s really good.
Yeah, we have. And we also gave out a free T-shirt. And people at our high school usually have to pay for the T-shirts. And after like the fourth meeting, we gave the T-shirts out, which kinda were like, “Oh, I actually did the correct thing.” And the only thing that catches everybody’s attention now is the drug part. None of the nobody else is coming for the prizes now. So we also gave a ticket and a piece of paper showing what our meeting will be already. And then we also sent a mass email to everybody who signed up.
Okay, that’s good. All right, David, tell us your story. How you got involved in coalition work and why you joined?
All right, first of all, since it forgot it earlier. I’m from Washington. Sorry, I forgot about that. I switched it to it. But how I got into this was this club that I’m in. That’s kind of set in our school. It’s known for like going trips known everywhere like Texas, Orlando, Washington DC. So that’s what they’re known for. Right? And nobody really told me that it was like a drug and alcohol prevention club. And I just wanted to go to places. So I mainly joined for that. And from there, I got to learn the inner workings of our club. And now it’s for my I do it for my senior project. So what a senior project is at our school, you have to take something that will benefit your community and your school as well. So this club actually is a community based club, where it’s not based in the school, but based on the community. And we use the community’s money, like, help to draw more people from the school to the community. So yeah. And yeah.
Okay well, you know, what’s really interesting is that perk of getting to travel is what drew you in, and then you, you have ignited a passion for this. That isn’t just because of travel now, like it is changed, because you’ve been a part of this. What is it that really drew you in to stay? After you started learning about this?
Well, not everybody knows this. But I came from a third world country, the Philippines. I’m an immigrant. So I’ve experienced a lot of things that you might not see on a day to day basis, right. Back home, I’ve had some friends, extremely close friends die from the drug abuse and just use in general. So I mainly wanted to support them. Like, “I love you. You don’t need to be doing that. Right. So it’s mainly for them.” Is I miss my friends. But yeah, it’s, it’s that connection that people have, that I really love in this club. Is as human beings, we’re social creatures, right? I just love talking to people. I love talking, what I’m about what I’m gonna do, and all that stuff. And it’s just great time.
Yeah, that’s good. You have a personal motivation and connection to the cause.
100 %
“Promoting Awareness: Creative Approaches to Drug Prevention Events”
Yeah I think that’s it’s important. But what’s so funny, and maybe it’s not funny, but what’s really need for people to hear is, even though you have a personal connection to the cause, it still took something different to draw you in. It even happened to me when, when I was in college, I joined this club, to, like, bring in bands and comedians to my campus, it was called like a programming. And it’s such a fun job. Like anybody should want to do this, like you really do get to bring in entertainers, you get a giant budget to create awesome event. But I only the only reason I went is was for the t shirt. And then it turned into this big passion. And you just never know what, what it is that draws people in. So I think, yeah, like that lesson in itself is so good to have that piece of say, like, hey, what’s gonna draw people in? What can be the hook? And then how can we give people the mission once they’re in, but also make it fun, you know, with travel with prizes, games, and then for you to run with the mission. I’d love to talk about that next. So you get into your coalition where I see you today as like these on fire students who are doing incredible programming. You’re involved in all these different levels, and you’re taking leadership, you know, positions within it. What is what are some of the things that you are engaged in, like activities in the coalition that you’ve done, that you feel like proud of, or things that you could tell us that you’ve done in the coalition in general.
It was really close to prom. And we went to gas stations like a week or two before prom and we stuck the consequence. It was like attention. It was a big green sticker that says attention. The use of buying alcohol for a minor or something it’s like a big amount and up to two years jail time. I don’t want to be wrong on this. So I think it was like 50,000 or like 2500 That’s a very big broad range but that’s okay, on a Monday it was worth a call. You don’t want to give up your car because you gave a minor a drug or alcohol. So gave these stickers to them on the side on on in front of the door on gas stations. So we we couldn’t do on like name brand gas stations but like the smaller ones around town we could so
Okay, that’s cool. So a campaign to put it at a time when it might be really needed from.
Another thing is we did surveys saying “Hey, have you if you’ve done that it’s a, it was a really quick survey during lunch, like maybe two or two or three questions saying, Have you done alcohol? Have you seen anybody doing alcohol? And it would know it was drugs or alcohol, but we also have one about alcohol too. And then have you quit? Or do you need help quitting? Which we are doesn’t do, but we direct them to our counselors.”
Okay, how did you get people to take that survey and want to do it?
We offered them with candy. And you got if you did the survey, you got candy.
Okay, nice. Did it work? Did people fill it out?
Most people probably probably just clicked yes. There’s so many people who put Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes, they do want to bet but you know, they have never done drugs.
But if the need. Okay, so it’s good for some data to say like, maybe they did fill it out. And you can tell? And they said, you know, yes, they need help, or or No, they haven’t seen it. But you can tell which ones were really filled out and which ones weren’t?
Yeah, and the ones who still do it never asked for help. No one said yes. They want to help unless they said that they’ve never done drugs.
Oh, okay. Interesting. So maybe it wasn’t that everything.
No one had their name on it either. So I think we had one or two to ask for help. Get that?
Yeah, that’s the nature of the survey, right? We want it to be anonymous, so they feel safe enough to answer it. But then if they if we ask, do you need resources on that same survey, then they have no way of following up?
Yeah
That’s a good lesson to learn, right? Let’s say, David, what are some of the things that you’ve done in your coalition so far?
Oh, I’ve done quite a few steps. But more that’s recent is I don’t know if you, Jordan, you do this. But Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon for me is drug and alcohol. Kinda like facts we give you like, how it affects you. What’s the early onset things? Like the men not dementia, but memory loss? Like all that stuff, and we just did that in a week long thing. And we just tell people how it is. You know, not to be like extremely blunt with it that like, we just want to note to people that know this information. It’s like, “next time that the choice comes to them, like, wow, should I really be doing this right now? Why am I doing this? And that’s those type of questions.” And be like, Please, have like that conscious decision for it. And another thing was that pizza party, she that’s what I did last week to it that ties in with red ribbon, we says it, it helps to kind of have like a support group almost, that like a group of people coming together like this is this is a problem. And we agree it’s a problem. So we should fix it.
As soon as the pizza party. Was that a way that you got people together to have fun without drugs and alcohol, but you also got to talk about the issue. And like kind of rally around supporting and like what you can do to make your environment better?
Yes. Oh, well, actually, what my video was for this month, that’s what the whole thing was selling facts. And throughout the whole event. There was motivational speeches, there was facts that was being said throughout the whole event to inform people that was there and just create this very fun environment that really had karaoke. Had games we had a giant kid that for for some reason, like I don’t even know who has this. Five feet by five feet to that floor. It was huge. And board Hall. And it was it was just a fun environment. And it was it was set in a place Well, everyone could see it. It was in front of the courthouse in front of the highway, where everyone can really see us and just having fun that lottery. Yeah.
“Youth-Led Drug Prevention: Insights from Vibe 18 Ambassadors in Action”
That’s cool. Okay, so when we post your video you made it a kind of shows you guys dancing, doing karaoke, and all that fun stuff that was at that event that you’re talking about? Yeah. Okay. Very cool. I love that so much. And I think it emphasizes the importance of infusing fun with your facts and information. Because if we just go in front of people, and we, you know, spill out information, but we don’t provide any community or, or fun. Then they’ll they’ll associate our work, our prevention work, as Oh, it’s not fun. It’s just like a, maybe it’s like a lecture, or it’s, they’re trying to change me and tell me what to do. And you had mentioned this earlier, David, when you first started talking is that I don’t know if he said this specifically. But insinuated that it’s not about making people feel bad or different or isolated. It’s just giving them the information so they can make a smart choice for themselves, and realizing that we aren’t in control of the decisions that they make. But if we have some life saving information, we should definitely share it. I want to ask you one last question before we end the interview. Is what advice would you give adults who are in coalition’s you know, they’re trying to start a youth prevention club, they’re trying to get young people involved? What can they do to make it attractive to students your age? And maybe even younger? Right, middle school or high school students? What advice would you give them? Maybe some things not to do? Or some things to do?
Can I go first?
Yeah.
All right. So yesterday, I was just, I was just in my youth leader conference in Spokane. And actually, his his advice? Were the youth leaders or the recall the older youth leaders, but talk to a younger child like younger people who are not as well involved. Because that’s, that’s the people you want to draw in. Right? Because they, they, they know what they want to see. But they don’t know how to give it to you to give to them, if that makes sense.
So like, instead of having you go recruit a middle schooler? Yeah. Have them recruit the middle schoolers? Is that what you’re Yeah, yeah. Okay. Well, tell me. Tell me more, a little bit more about that. So, because they know exactly what they want it here, it’s easier for them to say, just explain it instead of to explain it to you. And then have you do it to them.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And also, it’s, it’s so much easier to get an input on something directly from the audience, right. As there’s this little person, that lot gets lost and chairs, late translation, all that other stuff. But yeah, get your stuff from the people who you want to join.
Okay, now, that’s good. That’s really good. And I think that there are, there are probably some models out there. Or maybe there’s some clubs where, yes, David, you could do that. You couldn’t draw in the middle schoolers, but you would have to be trained, and be taught exactly what to do go over the material with you. Because I think what some people believe is, “David, you’re a high schooler, when middle schooler looks up to you and relates to you, like, they want to be kinda like you.” So if you invite them to the club, we believe that they’ll there will be more who want to join. But in order to make that effective, we also have to equip you to do a good job. And that takes a lot of time and effort. And we need a model to do that really, really well. And if we don’t have that, it sounds like you’re saying hey, don’t don’t do this halfway. Like don’t just expect me to do it. If I haven’t been equipped. Yeah, yeah, that’s good. That’s good. Got anything Jordan.
Ah, So you want to have more student lead. That’s a problem having in mind is our teacher takes control, which isn’t. People want to leave because they think they are gonna have fun. It’s the teacher taking controllable time. And when other students are helping lead the conversation and helping lead. Don’t take over everything. Yes, take over some things, but also sometimes just sit back and let the conversation roll. And let everybody like, if you’re trying to, like, have people trying to figure out what you’re gonna do next. Have a brain, like, have like a brain session like, don’t just let don’t you don’t, you’d be the one writing on the board. You’re the one writing on the board, let a student do it or figure out people also figure out people’s strengths and weaknesses. If their strength is not speaking in front of everybody, do not put them in everybody to speak in front of them. Let them lay back or like make them have the posters or handle the if those slideshow make them be the one handling the slideshow. Or they’re the people who create the slideshow and you guys work together, figure out people’s strengths and weaknesses. You want everybody to feel needed.
That’s good. That’s such great advice.
Also have a leadership team with the leadership team. Have those people that people that you’re relying on, but also have those people look up to you? But also like, yeah, like, if there’s a pedestal at the leadership team than you. They’re really close to you. And they want you to they want to feel like they have a voice they want to don’t we like criticism on but we don’t want criticism 24/7.
Can I add something to what Jordan? Yeah. So one thing that our love does and likes to do is great small committees to an event like this special names to like the that’s the the cheer, whatever. The the voice of the leader of this, the bringer of food. Something like something here. Yeah, to to give importance to them and tell them like, I love you. You’re doing this. And I support you. So just that feel good energy just everywhere.
That’s good. Give out all titles like candy, right? Yeah. That’s good, that everyone knows they’re important. I love that. I love that. Awesone, all right. Well, hey, to both of you, thank you so much for being a part of the Vive 18 ambassador program, thank you for investing in your communities. I’m just so impressed. Like getting to work with you. And seeing even from afar, you know, we get to zoom and kind of build this community and support each other. But even just watching your projects from afar, I’m just so encouraged, because you’re making a big difference. You’re taking on leadership positions that are tough, they’re stretching you and you’re pouring into your own community. And that’s going to have a ripple effect of people all around you. Oftentimes, we talk about all the stuff that’s going wrong, you know, especially in this field, though, like all the bad things that are happening. And this is something where I get to brag on students like you and say, but look at all the right things that are happening. So keep up the incredible work you too. And for everyone listening. This has been another episode of Party Talk where we empower leaders in youth drug prevention, and you’re gonna see some videos coming from Jordan and from David, and from Annabelle, one of our ambassadors that wasn’t able to make it this time. So look out for those. And if you have any questions about building a youth program, get connected with us. We’d love to support you. And we’ll see you on the next episode coming up next Monday.
