Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network
The Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network (OYLPN) is a statewide network of youth-led substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion providers and youth who are committed to the cornerstones of youth-led prevention, positive youth development, youth empowerment, and peer-to-peer youth messaging.
Through the provision of practical resources, collaborative learning and professional development opportunities, and access to a network of like-minded adults and youth, OYLPN builds and expands partnerships between youth-led substance misuse prevention and youth mental health promotion programs. These partnerships develop and strengthen youth-driven prevention efforts at the state and local levels.
Vision Statement
The Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network is an essential resource that supports Ohio's young prevention leaders as they engage as partners alongside adult allies to impact positive community change in their local communities and statewide environments. Youth are provided opportunities to develop and build knowledge, skills, and attitudes to leverage themselves as change makers by adult allies who provide connections to resources and advocate for their equitable participation. By investing in our youth, we are able to help them promote healthy choices for themselves and serve as change-makers for their peers and communities.
The Ohio Youth-Led Network is comprised of:
- OYLPN Youth Council is composed of Ohio adolescents in grades 9-12 who share the common goal of expanding the understanding and importance of substance use/misuse prevention, mental health promotion, and youth empowerment. Through a strategic planning process guided by their Adult Allies, the youth council identifies an area of focus relevant to youth and works to impact community change alongside their peers. Through the use of comprehensive prevention strategies, youth council members develop and implement activities and messaging around their area of focus to engage with peers and adults across the state. Learn more at the OYLPN Youth Council homepage.
- The We Are Change Rally (formerly known as the We Are The Majority Rally) has been celebrated for over a decade. Each year, thousands of young people from across the state convene in Columbus to show their commitment to a healthy lifestyle, deconstruct the stigma around teen substance misuse, and support one another with like-minded individuals. As youth environments have evolved, young people have a greater awareness of overall mental well-being and its influence in disrupting substance use/misuse. Healthy youth are empowered youth, and the We Are Change Rally encourages them to become change makers, creating positive change for themselves, their peers, and their communities.
Youth-Led Prevention Partners
- Ohio Adult Allies offers training, technical assistance, evaluation services, and/or funding to support adults who are currently implementing or seeking to implement youth-led programs. These programs must be grounded in two evidence-based frameworks: the Youth Empowerment Conceptual Framework (YECF) and the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). Ohio Adult Allies also includes Regional Learning Collaboratives (RLC), led by youth-led prevention subject matter experts. Adult Allies in these collaboratives provide extensive knowledge in youth-led prevention science and experience in guiding young people through the process of creating community-level change. The RLCs are designed to be accessible to those who support youth-led programming across the state and represent a variety of community settings. Ohio Adult Allies operates under the direction of Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, with funding support from Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services.
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