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.
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”.
Exam Relief FACT Lounge
Volition Franklin FACT Youth hosted a FACT Lounge m during exam week at Franklin High School. Students could drop in, have breakfast, play scratch off tobacco prevention games from FACT, listen to music, and play other board games prior to exams. A therapy dog was also available as an anxiety and stress reducing technique. There were also positive affirmations written on the boards around the classroom. A councilor, the school social worker, and a public health nurse staffed the event and offered support to students. The exam relief room offered a time to for students to relax, prepare for, and cultivate a positive mindset prior to taking their exams.
Prevention Week
Volition Youth members participated in Prevention Week by creating Franklin’s Largest Word Search! Community members have the opportunity to find prevention-themed words in a 7.5x7.5 feet word search. Students also created posters defining each word that people can find with statistics or sentences including each word. People who participate can win a prize! The display is posted in Franklin City Hall.
At the high school, students also made a display about healthy decision about substance misuse in the Main Commons of school.
GOLD WALK
Liv and Shreya were honored at the Saber Gold Walk on Friday, April 5th for their leadership and dedication on the FACT state youth board of directors. Liv and Shreya have served three and two terms, respectively, advocating for youth tobacco prevention. Congratulations ladies!
St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt
Middle School Volition Youth members challenged their peers to complete a St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt around school March 11-15. St. Patrick’s Day-themed shapes were hidden around school. Under the shapes were facts about prescription pills, underage drinking, tobacco, and marijuana. Students were tasked with finding four different shapes/ facts and writing them out on the green scavenger hunt forms, also placed around school. Home base teachers were also given directions and forms for students. Once completed, students had the opportunity to turn their completed form in at lunch for a prize. 22 students completed the scavenger hunt.
Franklin High School Halloween Spooktacular
October 29, 2018
Franklin High School student senate hosted their 2nd annual Halloween Spooktacular. Volition Youth participated by offering cookie decorating to youth in the community and their parents. We had signage that said “candy flavored vapes are a trick not a treat” and gave out coloring books and comic books about children living tobacco and drug free. We also provided education about e-cigarettes to adults. 100 children and their parents participated in the event.
Trunk or Treat at APA
October 21, 2018
Volition Youth participated in the Academy for Performing Arts, a community partner’s, Trunk or Treat event. We decorated our car and dressed up like Candy Land characters. We passed out candy and candy-sharped erasers to children participating in the event. The candy had a sticker on them that said “candy flavored tobacco is a trick, not a treat”. We also took time to educate parents about vaping and flavored tobacco. About 50 children and their parents participated in this event.
FACT Stencils
At our first middle school meeting of the year, new members had a chance to use spray chalk and stencils to spread the truth about tobacco and spread positive prevention messages to their fellow classmates on the sidewalks outside school. Students loved completing this filled the sidewalks with messages.
Back to School Ice Cream Social
Members welcomed students back to Forest Park Middle School with root beer floats. We educated about electronic cigarettes and how "tobacco tricks not treats" with flavored products. We also shared information about Volition and how to get involved in our after school group.
