Raising Awareness in the Digital Age with the Tools that Teens Use
As an organization, we believe it is vital for youth to become their own advocates against substance abuse and we adults need to pay attention to the new ways in which teens connect and communicate via social media.
The Digital Youth Ambassador Network will combine the social media campaign of Living the Example with the direct peer-to-peer outreach found in Mentor’s Youth Ambassador Network. Teens who live the example of a positive, drug-free life will have the opportunity to promote and celebrate healthy choices on the Living the Example blog.
Teenagers are the greatest natural resource for drug prevention at a vulnerable age. The goal of the Digital Youth Ambassador Network is to give a platform for teens to educate their peers while providing them with valuable resume building experience and a portfolio of published work.
(Living The Example) is developing and nurturing your own interests and hobbies (while) discovering who you are and not being afraid of it. It's about spreading positivity among peers and within yourself.
Meredith Richards, Ichabod Crane High School Youth Ambassador & Digital Youth Ambassador
Celebrate Youth
Writing and creating are powerful sources of empowerment. Everyone reacts to peer pressure – how can we as a society reverse negative peer pressure into positive encouragement? Teens are wealthy in knowledge; even if they are locked out by drug influence, they hold the keys to reopen the doors.
We invite all teens aged 13 to 19 to join our new Digital Youth Ambassador Network. As a DYA, they will be active participants in the journey to facilitating change. They may share anecdotes, make us laugh, make a video, interview a friend, share advice, discuss current events affecting their age group, or shatter myths surrounding adolescent drug abuse – there’s no limit to their imagination. “Living the Example” was coined by Mentor, but defined by teens.
More information as well as the application is located at www.livingtheexample.org/write.
Follow Living The Example on social media, @livingtheexample (Facebook/Instagram) & @livetheexample (Twitter/Snapchat).