ATI expands into Winooski High School

Last week, one of our youth board trustees Stephie Siki and our new Youth Mobilization Coordinator Hannah St. Don hosted a potluck after school to invite more high school students into our Above the Influence after school program. Students collaborated making meals, such as spicy Korean ramen noodles with shrimp, cookies, kale and quinoa salad and even trying their hand at Somali Chapati.

As everyone ate, Stephie explained the message behind Above the Influence. The program empowers young people to recognize and face the influences around them, including the pressure to use drugs and alcohol. Students each chose a blog from the Above the Influence website to research and share with the group. This opened up conversation and gave students an opportunity to share some of their own experiences in school where they have seen substance use and how to address the topic.

At the end of the lunch, students received a letter welcoming them to the club and signed a pledge to advocate for drug prevention to their peers and within their communities.

Interested in joining? Contact Hannah St. Don at hstdon@winooskiprevention.org.