Communities That Care Monthly Digest: February 2024
Data Work Group 2.7.24
Purpose: Data workgroup members will do a deep dive into the Healthy Kids Colorado survey data to further discuss established health/behavioral and risk/protective factor goals.
Whitney Shelton shared that the schools are drafting a vaping protocol.
Neisha Ballack shared that at the last school board meeting SRO deputy, Matt Smith, presented on tobacco and other substance use.
Another way to look at the percentages: if 41% of students feel it would be sort of easy or very easy to access electronic vapor products, that is 2 out of 5. In real numbers, since there approximately 6,100 students in the district, roughly 2,400 feel it would be easy to access vape products.
This is important to be able to get a different visual perspective on the numbers of students that may be affected by the apparent ease of accessing electronic vapor products.
On a recent webinar on brain development in youth, Dr. Danielle Dick, PhD, stated that acceptability and access affect use.
Structure Work Group: 2.14.24
Purpose: Structure Workgroup Members will further discuss the Youth Lead Resource Fair.
Coalition chose to do this fair so that families and children are knowledgeable about resources available in our community. In considering protective factors, this is a Pro social opportunity for youth to be involved in community planning and leadership.
As we consider the health and engagement of our coalition, the strategy work team felt this is an opportunity to further strengthen our coalition through a short-term, tangible project. Finally, this resource fair increases awareness of CTC’s presence in the community.
April 25th, 4:00-6:30 at Montrose Pavilion.
Popcorn machine, cotton candy machine.(from GJ)
Vendor sign up sheet and excel tracking sheet are complete.
Students created an introductory video to send to partners/vendors.
In person invites to follow, with students as available.
Preliminary activities:
Hot/Cold Mapping
Face painting
Fairy gardens
Coalition meeting 2.23.24
Purpose: coalition members will evaluate 3 possible programs to present to key leaders in March.
Coalition members divided into three groups, each group evaluating one of three programs, based on the extensive work done in the Community Gaps Grid and Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development program research.
After evaluating all programs, coalition members chose Positive Action Strengthening Families and to bring forward to share out to key leaders. A brief overview follows.
Positive Action is a certified model program from the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development program clearinghouse. Model programs pass extensive testing for rigor and results. The subcommittee evaluating this program felt it would be a good fit for our community because the commitment is 15-20 minutes, 2-4 times each week. In previous studies done, after 3 years of implementing the program in grades 5-8 they reported being less likely to engage in Substance use, violence, there’s an increase in grades, attendance, sense of support in school, and increase in positive social/prosocial behavior. They have seen results later on in late grades because of the upstream prevention.
Strengthening Families is a certified promising program from the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development clearinghouse. While this program has some barriers, such as time commitment and considering transportation, the strengths of the program are early program execution for 5-14 year olds, family involvement, and improved family relationships, which increases the positive protective factor of the family.
Guiding Good Choices is a Certified Promising program, based on the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development criteria. There are many strengths to this program, but the sub committee for this program felt that the requirement for family involvement and the fact that the students participated in a small portion of the program were both deterrents to success in our community.