Lead & Seed Prevention Program for Alcohol, Tobacco, Illicit Drugs, Violence, Injury Prevention and Bullying
“Lead & Seed” is a youth empowered, adult supported, environmental approach to preventing and reducing alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, violence, injury and bullying in the school and community.
The Lead & Seed program training is provided at a local site in the community by a national expert, Alutiiq trainer. Training is followed by a community action phase to address local community problems. Best practice strategies are track- ed in a Logic Model, (blueprint) and Action Plans developed during training. A max- imum of 24 participants attend the training. At least half of the attendees must be youth leaders from middle and/or high school, with the remaining participants being adults who support the youth efforts; teachers, guidance counselors, parents, faith community, civic organizations, prevention specialists and other professionals.
Phase I, (LEAD), is the “Instructional Phase” when the 2-day, 12 hour training is delivered. The training affects “individual change,” in an effort to fix and change individual adolescent knowledge, attitude and skills. It is during this 2-day instruction that youth leaders and the adults who support them, explore the specific causes and solutions for underage drinking, teen tobacco use or illicit drugs in their community. The trained team at the Seed Site will select strategies and activities that they believe will work where they live, work and play. Their selected activities are based on the Theory of Change applied to the demographics and factors of their specific area. Their selected activities will yield environmental outcomes and will make changes in local policy, practice and procedures.
Phase II, (SEED), occurs during the months following the training. This is the Community Action Phase. The action plans and strategies developed during the Lead & Seed training are implemented. The program configuration of conducting the “training first” and “then implementing” the plans, is effective because participants are provided with the “tools” they need to localize, and take charge of, their own efforts and outcomes. Phase II begins the process of “population-level” change. The adult role is to support and assist the youth leaders in attaining their goals.
