Youth In Action

What is Youth In Action?

MADD's Youth In Action teams participate in activities such as; sticker shock, alcohol compliance checks, shoulder-tap surverys and roll call briefings. YIA's mission seeks to reduce the social and retail availability of alcohol to minors and to support the enforcement of underage drinking laws. Training will be provided. This is a great opportunity to work with law enforcement, build leadership skills, and help save young lives.

Youth In Action Projects/Opportunites (YIA):

1. Shoulder-Tap Survey: Youth approach adults to purchase alcohol for them with the goal to educate them about the dangers and consequences of providing alcohol to minors
2. Sticker Shock: Youth work with retailers to place prevention messages on alcohol multi-packs, creating a visual reminder of underage drinking laws
3. Compliance Checks: Underage youth work as decoys with undercover police officers to make sure retailers aren't selling alcohol to minors and penalize those who do
4. Roll-Call Briefing: Youth create a presentation for law enforcement to show support of underage drinking laws
5. Law Enforcement Recognition: Youth plan events, large or small, to recognize that hard work and dedication of local law enforcement in the fight against underage drinking
6. Special Events hosted by MADD or youth created projects approved by MADD

Youth In Action Youth Participant:

Postion Goal/Objective: To be an active participant in YIA projects and to become an advocate for prevention of underage drinking in their community. 

A youth participant is responsible for:

1. Completing the above tasks assigned by the adult coordinator .
2. Acting as a role model for other youth in their community.
3. Being professional and courteous during all YIA events.

The ideal youth candidate will:

1. Be at least 15 years old
2. Complete at least TWO projects per semester.
3. Have strong communication and leadership skills.
4. Be dedicated to living a safe and chemically-free lifestyle.

Youth In Action Adult Coordinator:

Position Goal/Objective: To create a sustainable network of youth and community support to continually and successfully implement YIA projects. A YIA Adult Coordinator is responsible for:

1. Recruiting and organizing youth
2. Training youth on YIA projects.
3. Educating youth on underage drinking statistics.
4. Delegating project tasks to youth.
5. Implementing YIA projects.
6. Building relationships with key supporters in the community.
7. Utilizing media outlets.
8. Collecting data and reporting to the state Youth Programs Specialist.
9. Communicating appropriate underage drinking messaging.

Skills

The ideal candidate for a Youth In Action Adult Coordinator would have the following skills and/or abilities:

1. Must be at least 21 years old
2. Must be able to successfully pass a background check prior to training.
3. Have knowledge of Colorado   's underage drinking laws.
4. Have experience dealing and working with youth.
5. Be organized, flexible, dedicated, and motivating.
6. Have experience with recruitment and networking.
7. Be able to maintain high ethical and safety standards.

For more information please visit www.youthinaction.org or contact Tiffany Hanson at tiffany.hanson@madd.org or 303-425-5902