The Community & Youth Initiatives division at CSCS manages state contracts from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Division to help accomplish the goals of the State's Tobacco Prevention Initiative.

Goals of Community & Youth Initiatives Tobacco Program
Through training and technical assistance, we strive to increase the capacity of Texas communities and schools to effectively create positive change at the local level in reducing the burden of tobacco use and secondhand smoke.

Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day

Texas students are flexing their muscles in the fight against tobacco to celebrate the Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day. The event is an effort to partner with Texas schools to encourage students of all ages to live tobacco-free lifestyles.

Sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Center for Safe Communities and Schools (CSCS), the event is held in conjunction with the annual Kick Butts Day, a national activity sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Information packets are being sent to all school health coordinators with information about how schools can get involved. Activities can be simple or elaborate, but the goal is to have every school in Texas participate in some way.

As an incentive, DSHS and CSCS will offer scholarships and travel stipends to the 2008 Texas Teen Tobacco Summit for groups that submit event reports.
For more information about Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day, visit Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day or http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/tobacco/default.shtm

Texas Teen Tobacco Summit &
Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention Conference

The Texas Teen Tobacco Summit & Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention Conference, hosted by the Center for Safe Communities and Schools and the Texas Department of State Health Services, is a premier assembly of tobacco-control professionals, researchers, healthcare providers, community outreach specialists, law enforcement officers, counselors, teachers and youth dedicated to protecting Texas youth from the dangers of tobacco use and helping those who smoke to quit.

The 2008 Conference will be held July 27-30, 2008 at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center. Check out the Event Photo Albums for conference pictures.

Extreme Youth Leadership Training Camps

Extreme Youth Leadership is excited to announce the dates and locations for 2008 EYL Training Camps:

• Sherman, TX (Austin College) July 8-11, 2008
• San Angelo, TX (Angelo State University), July 22-25, 2008
• New Braunfels, TX (John Newcombe Tennis Ranch), August 12-15, 2008
  

Please log on to http://www.eylat.org/trainingcamp.htm for additional information about the training camps. There you will find Youth and Adult Registration Forms, and Volunteer Applications. You can also check out the pictures from all previous EYL Training Camps!

2008 Regional Forums

Texas Standing Tall, the statewide coalition to prevent youth alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is conducting 2008 Regional Forums to bring together state and local voices.
For program description, registration, dates and locations, please view You're Invited.

ASPIRE

A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience (ASPIRE) is a web-based multimedia program developed by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for adolescents. ASPIRE uses animations, videos, and interactive activities to communicate the facts about smoking and tobacco use, as well as, offers skills to adopt a tobacco-free lifestyle. With broadband internet access, use ASPIRE at home, in the classroom, the computer lab, the library or any public computer. ASPIRE is evidence-based and is available free of charge. For more information: http://www.mdanderson.org/aspire/

Overall Goal of Community & Youth Initiatives Tobacco Program

Through training and technical assistance, we strive to increase the capacity of Texas communities and schools to effectively create positive change at the local level in reducing the burden of tobacco use and secondhand smoke.

Values/Guiding Principles

The following values guide us in our daily work, planning and program implementation:

1) Youth-Adult Partnerships:
We are intentional in our efforts to involve youth in our program planning and implementation efforts, and believe in the contributions offered by young people as real solutions to the social problems that face us today.
2) Community Building:
We are committed to making significant contributions in the communities in which we work and live, and believe all real positive change starts at the community level.
3) Learning & Teaching:
We strive to create and maintain an environment that allows us and others to capture knowledge and the best practices in tobacco prevention and control and disseminate it regularly through such offerings as the Regional Teen Tobacco Summits and Annual Texas Teen Tobacco Summit and Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention Conference.
4) Leadership & Advocacy:
We promote public policy and system change as the most effective mechanisms to impact the problems caused by tobacco use and secondhand smoke. We continue to bring on board new leaders and advocates for this cause. We also continue to develop and train our youth partners and adult allies in leadership and advocacy skills so that they may take action to create positive change.

Five Main Program Strategies

CSCS will implement the following strategies in order to achieve our overall goal of increasing capacity in order to reduce the burden of tobacco on the state of Texas:

1) Law Enforcement Activities,
2) Texas Teen Ambassador Initiative,
3) Texas Tobacco-Free Teen Leadership Summits,
4) Annual Texas Teen Tobacco Summit and Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention Conference,
5) Follow-Up and Assistance to Program Participant Groups.