White House Drug Policy Office awards $625,000 to Winooski Partnership for Prevention to prevent youth substance use in Winooski, VT
Local prevention coalition, Winooski Partnership for Prevention, to use grant funding over a five-year period to strengthen community partnerships and reduce youth alcohol and marijuana use
Winooski, VT — Today, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) awarded Winooski Partnership for Prevention, a substance use prevention coalition based in Winooski, Vt., a $625,000 grant to involve and engage their local community in preventing substance use among youth.
“This award represents the culmination of years of partnership-building, care, and passion for the future of the people who make up this place, and much hard work,” said Kate Nugent, Executive Director of Winooski Partnership for Prevention (WPP).
“What an awesome testament to the community of Winooski,” said Daimeyon Williams, president of the WPP board of trustees. “It is due not only to the diligent and authentic work of the WPP staff that makes this possible but the fact that the community is so very committed to continually investing in the health and wellness of our youth.”
The grant, awarded over a five-year period, is one of 150 grants the ONDCP awarded nationwide, four in Vermont, as part of its Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program.
The DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, DFC-funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local substance use problems.
“This is a significant step in Winooski’s commitment to its residents and visitors health and wellbeing,” Nugent said. “We very much look forward to carrying out the work ahead with our community partners, and building upon progress made and our vision of a community where well-being is accessible to all.”
“We are so excited about the new grant and the new resources it brings to youth and families in our community,” said Suzanne Skaflestad, 21 C Grant Coordinator at Winooski School District. “The Above the Influence (ATI) after school program offered by the Winooski Partnership for Prevention has been a positive addition to our afterschool offerings at Winooski School District. The students have been supported to build their leadership and communication skills while learning about drug and alcohol prevention in their community.”
“The afterschool program inspired a high school student, who participated since she was in middle school, to start a high school ATI program,” said Skaflestad. “This is a testament to how impactful the program has been for this student.”
“In order to create safe and healthy places for the next generation, we must break through to our children now and educate them about the dangers of substance use,” ONDCP Director Jim Carroll said. “The Drug-Free Communities, administered by our office across the United States, are proven prevention programs tailored to do just that by meeting the specific needs in each community.”
With this grant, WPP plans to address alcohol and marijuana use among youth in Winooski.
In 2017, almost half of Winooski high school students thought it would be easy to access alcohol and marijuana, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A quarter of students thought there was no risk of harm from binge drinking every weekend and half of students thought there was no risk of harm from regular marijuana use.
Strategies to reduce youth use include youth outreach and engagement, parent trainings, community education and continued collaboration with the Winooski School District, City of Winooski, and 10 other sectors on community-wide prevention work.
“Science shows that substance use can have a negative and lasting impact on adolescent brain development,” said Emily Hecker, Communications and Development Director at the Winooski School District. “Winooski School District is thrilled that Winooski Partnership for Prevention has the funding they need to continue empowering the youth in our community to believe in themselves and make healthy decisions.”
Winooski Partnership for Prevention
Winooski Partnership for Prevention is a local substance use prevention coalition based in Winooski, VT. The mission of the coalition is to prevent substance use by educating and empowering Winooski. Winooski Partnership for Prevention collaborates with numerous community partners, including Winooski School District, City of Winooski, and the Vermont Department of Health, to implement evidence-based prevention strategies in the community of Winooski.
Background on the Drug-Free Communities Support Program
The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.
The DFC Program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community coalitions that facilitate youth and adult participation at the community level in local youth drug use prevention efforts.
Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, DFC-funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local drug problems. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, healthcare and business professionals, law enforcement, and media. By involving the community in a solution-oriented approach, DFC also helps those youth at risk for substance use recognize that the majority of our Nation’s youth choose not to use drugs.
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