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SaFY 2000 Drug Control and System improvement Formula Grant Program
<br />Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Assistance
<br />with violent offenses increased 33% over the last 5 years, while the number of violent offense cases
<br />increased 25%.
<br />All of this combined have made it increasingly more important for efforts to focus on behavior strategies
<br />and intervention for youth by promoting healthy lifestyles. ( i.e., not using drugs, alcohol, tobacco;
<br />practicing abstinence; participating in school; anger control with focus on alternatives to violence) With
<br />substance use/abuse intertwined with so many other high risk behaviors, early intervention must be
<br />available to specifically target the prevention education needs of youth.
<br />It is no wonder youth may not get needed information. A family's hectic schedule can make it difficult for
<br />parents to hold conversation with their children. Due to hectic lifestyles, parents tend to give rushed, basic
<br />lectures, laced with scare tactics when trying to communicate a difficult subject. This in turns, becomes
<br />ineffective, with the point of the discussion often missed. It is necessary for a parent to take the time to sit
<br />down with a child to discuss these important topics. Before they do though, they must educate themselves
<br />in order to deliver correct and accurate information.
<br />The TARGET program attempts to involve youth by having conversations, not lectures, encouraging youth
<br />to express thoughts, ideas and feelings about important issues. This enables the TARGET program not
<br />only a means to collect data, assess needs and interventions, but also allows us to take a good look at
<br />youth's perception of "risk". This program is open enough to allow youth to discuss critical issues they are
<br />facing in everyday life. TARGET empowers youth to learn the skills necessary to make smart decision. By
<br />providing youth with opportunities for healthy decision, they can learn to make safe choices. Early
<br />intervention can help lessen fears of youth. In tum it teaches youth, if smart decisions are not made, that
<br />drugs, alcohol, smoking, violence and sex can be unhealthy.
<br />A positive indicator has been parents comments on their own children. Our original goal of including only
<br />10 % of "student body leaders" in the TARGET troupe was intentional. We did not want to create an
<br />environment "hostile"or "unwelcoming" to the high risk youth. Reaching the "high risk" youth via
<br />improvisation has resulted in increase in school performance, positive attitudes, and overall improved self-
<br />esteem. These youth are now becoming the role models for new joining troupe members. As a result, an
<br />increase in the so called "student body leaders" involved with the troupe has increased. This only
<br />reinforces the importance of programs geared at channeling positive, healthy energy to help fill voids that
<br />exist when youth are left undirected. Involvement for the TARGET troupe members has provided them with
<br />a venue to express themselves with other youth, helping ail to make healthy choices.
<br />The TARGET troupe actively develops innovative and high energy skits related to life issues they and their
<br />peers are facing. The troupe has created a collections of 30 different skits for performances. The troupe
<br />continues to develop skits dealing with issues on substance abuseluse, dieting (anoxeria and bulimia),
<br />HIMIDS, pregnancy and violence. The TARGET troupe members are mentors to other youth, as well as
<br />friends, family and neighbors within the community.
<br />This program has been well received in the community. Participants in the TARGET troupe need not have
<br />any previous acting experience, just a desire to participate. In many cases, we find that high risk youth
<br />become the best performers. Their presentations via improvisation is not acting, but is real and from the
<br />heart. 60% of the youth participating in the TARGET troupe have never had any formal training in acting.
<br />The T.A.R.G.E.T. program will have two distinct categories. In the first group, the identified population for
<br />the TARGET troupe will be youth to serve as mentors. They will be identified by a multitude of high risk
<br />factors, including but not limited to: substance I tobacco abuse, violence, KIWAIDS, pregnancy, runaways,
<br />school dropout or repeat failure in school, repeat juvenile justice offenders, economically disadvantaged
<br />and parenting teen-agers. This mentorship program will continue to recruit 25-35 youth that ars
<br />multicultural, between the ages of 13-18, male and female. The youth will be identified through schools,
<br />Parent Teacher Associations, juvenile detention facilities, court referrals, social services programs,
<br />churches. HRS, substance abuse programshreatment centers and individuals. Only 10% of the youth
<br />identified as mentors will not meet the criteria of high-risk youth. The individuals will be student body
<br />leaders who will serve as peer role models for high risk youth. These student mentor will be recruited from
<br />Subgrant Applicalion Section 0 - Page 4 of 16
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