Douglas County

Youth Empowerment and Prevention

About the program

Youth Empowerment & Prevention! (YEP!) is a youth-led organization with the goal to promote positive change within our schools and communities. Our group consists of youth chapters in Baldwin, Eudora, Lawrence, and Perry Lecompton middle and high schools. YEP! provides opportunities for youth to learn more about leadership development, substance misuse prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion.

What does YEP! do?

Youth get trained in substance misuse prevention, suicide prevention, mental health, and leadership.

Chapters develop and implement special projects to promote healthy lifestyles.

Youth engage in several opportunities to connect with like-minded youth from other schools in the county throughout the year.

Watch this!

Recent projects and campaigns

Hosted breakfast and lunch gatherings to connect with law enforcement for relationship building
Hosted spirit weeks and other events to encourage peers to make healthy choices
Facilitate a Communities Talk campaign which
- 1) highlighted data showing that the majority of Douglas County youth don’t drink alcohol and
- 2) provided facts about the risks associated with underage drinking.
Advocate for policies designed to reduce youth tobacco use and promote health equity in Lawrence and Douglas County
Promote stress reduction activities for peers
Poster contest to elevate the urgency of the need to address issues around vaping and mental health
Provide table tents of information and peer-to-peer sessions on the risks associated with vaping
Attend Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) conferences
Participate in Take Down Tobacco Day in Topeka at the state capitol
Participate in the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week social media campaign