For the second straight year, the Orange County Department of Education has been awarded a sizeable grant to support the efforts of youth leaders in the Friday Night Live program as they implement campaigns designed to combat underage drinking in their communities.
The latest $15,000 grant is provided through the California Friday Night Live Partnership with funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It gives local youth additional opportunities to lead projects that will actively engage their peers, family members and community members with the goal of reducing underage drinking – and preventing the problems that are often the result.
The FNL chapters selected to participate include those from Bolsa Grande and Santiago high schools in the Garden Grove Unified School District; Magnolia High School in the Anaheim Union High School District; and the Santiago de Compostela Youth Ministry in Lake Forest.
Youth leaders will once again tackle multifaceted prevention efforts that will include outreach to parents, alcohol retailers and students enrolled at local middle and high schools. For example, students last year staged a “reality party” to spotlight the dangers of underage drinking.
Friday Night Live is a high school youth development program that empowers students to change their schools and communities by focusing on alcohol and drug prevention. Along the way, students develop meaningful skills in the areas of communication, collaboration and problem-solving.
You can learn more about FNL here.