Using the science of the positive to implement community-led interventions to prevent underage alcohol use among youth ages 12-20 in gloucester - the purpose of the youth prevention network's (YPN)…

Using the science of the positive to implement community-led interventions to prevent underage alcohol use among youth ages 12-20 in gloucester - the purpose of the youth prevention network's (YPN) "using the science of the positive to implement community-led interventions to prevent underage alcohol use among youth ages 12-20 in gloucester" project is to work collaboratively at the community level to identify, establish, and implement relevant evidence-based community approaches that will expand and increase the coalition's ability to address underage drinking in the community, including underserved communities, by examining up-to-date data and selecting interventions that address local conditions. Utilizing the strategic prevention framework and a positive community norms framework, the YPN will build upon its established infrastructure to increase protective factors that mitigate alcohol use among youth ages 12-20 in the massachusetts community of gloucester, aiming to reach 1,500 youth annually. The biannual youth risk behavior survey (yrbs) will serve as a source of data collection that will measure progress towards the project goal of preventing underage alcohol use, as measured by past 30-day alcohol use rates and perception of harm of alcohol among middle and high school students. This project will expand work at the middle school and high school level and continue to build peer models for middle school through high school and transitional-age students. With stop act funding, the YPN will adapt its plan to become more inclusive of middle school aged programming, augment parental involvement, and implement youth alcohol use prevention strategies before age of first use. The YPN proposes to add youth-to-youth messaging where high school members of the gloucester youth leadership council (gylc) will expand their work with the local middle school through events, media outlets, and positive community norms campaigns. Training in the evidence-based adolescent community reinforcement approach (a-CRA) will be provided to gloucester public school staff at the middle and high school levels to help students build problem-solving skills to cope with day-to-day stressors, improve life satisfaction, and eliminate alcohol and substance use problems. To further enhance prevention initiatives, the YPN will bolster existing programming and host alcohol-free youth events with community partners such as the gloucester public schools, the gloucester police department, the gloucester housing authority, the cape ANN ymca, and cape ANN art haven. The YPN will strive to reduce barriers to access and meet the needs of the individuals in the population of focus by providing activities free of charge, in multiple languages, and with free transportation options. Project goals: (1) strengthen the capacity of the youth prevention network coalition; and (2) prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth ages 12-20. Short-term outcomes: grow YPN & gylc membership by 30% by project end as measured by attendance records, increased awareness of actual 30-day use rates of GPS students per yrbs data, increased availability of safe, alcohol-free youth spaces/events per number of events held, increased skills in youth alcohol use prevention/reduction among GPS staff, as measured by pre- and post-survey data. Intermediate outcomes: enhance diversity, equity, & inclusion by empowering underserved populations to be involved in prevention initiatives, with success indicated by a 25% increase in coalition representation from underserved communities by project end, decrease in % of gloucester middle and high school students who report that they think their peers have used alcohol in the past 30 days per yrbs data; increase in number of adults modeling healthy behavior & choices, as measured by focus group and key informant interview data. Long-term outcomes: decrease in 30-day use rates of alcohol among gloucester middle and high school students by 7% by project end, as measured by biannual yrbs data