Per NAMI-UW Madison: The Bandana Project is a program designed to spread awareness of resources for those with mental illness. The lime green bandanas indicates that people wearing them are a safe individual to approach with mental health-related issues and are a resource for where others may get help and support in times of crisis. Volition Franklin Youth members passed our green bandanas before school one morning and had students to sign a pledge board.
Gratitude
In December, Volition Franklin Youth members created gratitude journals. They discussed how gratitude is a sense of wonder, thankfulness, appreciation for life and an acknowledgment and appreciation of things that are given or done. Students also discussed that gratitude is important because it is strongly associated with emotions that keep people physically and mentally healthy. It boosts friendships and relationships, inspires people to take good care of themselves, have greater satisfaction with life, and a higher level of success in school. Gratitude is a strong prevention factor for substance abuse. Inside each journal was a list of writing prompts for students to consider each day.
Trunk or Treat
Volition Franklin Youth Middle School students put stickers on candy that said “Candy flavored vapes is a trick not a treat”. These messages were passed out during the Trunk or Treat event at the Franklin Public Library on October 29th. Volition Franklin Youth decorated a car with the theme of "Snow White”, complete with the evil witch a boiling pot of “vape juice”. Candy messages were passed out to students trick-or-treating. At the Trunk or Treat event, Volition Franklin and the Franklin Health Department also passed out recipe cards with Halloween-inspired vegetable dishes and collected non-perishable food items for local food pantries.
Halloween Spooctacular
Franklin High School Student Senate hosted a Halloween Spooctacular on October 28th. Volition Franklin Youth members hosted a “sweet flavored tobacco TRICKS NOT TREATS table. Students could stop by the table for information about flavored tobacco/vape products and decorate a cookie. Over 100 children and their families stopped by the table.
Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31) is a national campaign to spread awareness about drug and alcohol abuse; and highlight local prevention efforts. Volition Franklin Youth members sent first hour classes a “message in a bottle”. The class had the opportunity to discuss various topics including bulling, belonging at school, vaping and alcohol. They were tasked with creating a short message that could be used for locker signs at the middle school. Students also distributed red socks to wear later that week. Additionally, facts were shared on social media about substance misuse.
Rep. Ken Skowronski
Volition Franklin Youth FACT members met with State Representative Ken Skowronski to discuss the harmful effects of vaping to teen bodies. They showed Rep. Skowronski a board with vape products that closely assemble vape products. They also shared the different school prevention programs the group implements throughout the school year. The students and Rep. Skowronski also had a very dynamic conversation about the proposed Tobacco 21 bill and if vape shops should be licensed. It was a great conversation!
Back to School Days
Volition Franklin Youth members welcomed students to the new Forest Park Middle School with root beer floats and education about vaping. Students shared with their peers the dangers of vaping and how sweet-flavored vapes cover up many harmful chemicals. Students also had a parent education toolkit with vape devices and bringing the conversation home to their student. They treated about 600 incoming students to a root beer floats.
National Night Out
Volition Franklin Youth hosted a table at Franklin’s National Night Out on August 5th. We played a matching game where students had to match the food option to the food-flavored vape juice and tell us which was the healthy option. FACT members also had scratch off cards showing the negative effects of using tobacco. People who participated could choose a FACT button or strawberry lip gloss. We also had our Tobacco Tricks Not Treats display board educating peers about the sweet flavors of nicotine flavored vapes and how the products are unhealthy for our bodies and mind.
4th Annual Franklin Family Fun Flick
Volition Franklin hosted its 4th Annual Franklin Family Fun Flick on Friday, June 14th with many community partners including Gift of Wings, Franklin Lions, Mathnasium, Ascension Franklin, Milweb1, Marcus Theaters, APA, Southwest Milwaukee Optimist club, Law Offices of Frederick Klimetz, Snowie Snow Cones, and support from PAWS and the City of Franklin. Prior to the movie, Mary Poppins Returns, members offered free games, vendor booths, and Marcus Showtime Theater popcorn for attendees. The Academy for Performing Arts had vocal and violin students performing before the movie started. Through sponsorship and community donations, $1,912.81 was raised for Volition’s prevention efforts.
About 350 individuals attended the event. 140 people completed an evaluation about the event. 32% of attendees were Franklin students and parents of students enrolled in Franklin schools—our target audience. 68% of respondents are concerned about substance misuse in Franklin. Of people who were concerned about substance misuse in Franklin, participants rated vaping, alcohol, and tobacco as the top three substances. Comments included “alcohol use is prevalent” and “alcohol…[is] legal and there’s no stigma when consuming it, like with drugs and tobacco”. Comments also included that substances are a problem because of stigmas that ‘nicotine addiction [is] cool”.
End of Year Recognition Event
Volition Youth celebrated their accomplishments and recognized the 2018-2019 Leadership team and our seniors at our annual recognition event. We partied at Root River Center with bowling, pizza, and cupcakes. Students had a great time celebrating the year and saying goodbye to our seniors.
