Join us on October 18, 2012, for the first ever National “Above the Influence” (ATI) Day. Taking place during National Substance Abuse Prevention Month in October, ATI Day will be a time to celebrate youth living the “Above the Influence” lifestyle and to recognize the power of prevention efforts in local communities. This annual tradition [...]
What’s New
The impact of Above the Influence is growing in communities large and small across the country. Review the latest stories and stay informed.
In May 2012, the Media Campaign joined the Sitar Arts Center in Washington, DC, to celebrate the launch of “Above the Influence’s” new activity – “Express It.” The activity calls on teens to create a short skit, poem, song, or dance that educates and inspires them and their peers to live “above the influence.” The [...]
More than 100 youth – handpicked by their peers across Illinois – participated in DomeShift, an annual two-day event aimed at arming students with advocacy training skills to activate change within their communities. During the event, which took place April 17-18, 2012, students visited the state capitol building to talk with their legislators about community [...]
Essex Junction, VT, is home to some pretty amazing teenagers. The Essex CHIPS “Above the Influence” group, led by Mischa Tourin, received national recognition from MTV in February 2012 for their submission to MTV & Above the Influence’s “Unwasted Weekend” video challenge. MTV selected the Essex ATI teens’ video as one of three that best [...]
In April 2012, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) teamed up with the Kent County Prevention Coalition (KCPC) for the first ever Kent County Above the Influence (ATI) “Live Out Loud: Dream IT, Believe IT, Achieve IT” Youth Summit. This two-day summit brought together more than 600 middle and high school students from [...]
The Clinton Substance Abuse Council, New Directions and the “Above the Influence” (ATI) campaign joined nearly 150 youth from seven local middle schools at the X-Treme Leadership Conference at Ashford University on November 3, 2011. Clinton area youth participated in interactive sessions led by the ATI team and Clinton Students for Tobacco Education and Prevention [...]
In November 2011, the Unified Prevention! (UP!) Coalition for a Drug Free Doña Ana County and the Doña Ana County Teen Court teamed up with the “Above the Influence” Team to integrate the youth-focused campaign into the first annual Empowering Youth Conference in Las Cruces, NM. Jaylene McIntosh, coordinator of the UP! Coalition, was excited [...]
With Thanksgiving around the corner the giving season has begun! A perfect example of teens in the giving spirit is the “Living Above the Influence Club” from Battle Creek, Michigan who are running a clothing drive for cold weather items to help those who are in need as the winter approaches. In recent months, the [...]
For the second year in a row, The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club in Bronx, NY has implemented “Above the Influence” toolkit activities and themes in their character development and health Club programming. The Club nominates youth ages 14-18 to serve as their local ATI team. During a seven-week employment program, they planned and [...]
Community partners across the country have embraced the ATI campaign and have used the activities from the ATI Activities Toolkit as a new way to engage youth in a dialogue about the negative effects of substance use and other risky behaviors. To build on the success of the three original ATI activities (“Tag It”, [...]
The “Above the Influence” campaign is partnering with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for its second annual MusiCares and GRAMMY Foundation Teen Substance Abuse Awareness through Music Contest. Teens from across the country who are 14-18 years-old are encouraged to enter the original music and music video competition. The Teen Substance Abuse Awareness [...]
President Obama proclaimed September 2011 as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, stating, “Recovering from addiction to alcohol and other drugs takes strength, faith, and commitment. As a Nation, we must strive to promote second chances and recognize each individual’s ability to overcome adversity.” There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed [...]
The Above the Influence (ATI) team will be traveling to CADCA’s annual Mid-Year Training Institute, in Anaheim, California, to lead two (2) half-day sessions designed to address coalition leaders’ biggest concerns and obstacles in effective youth prevention. The session titled “Empowering Teen Voices in Your Coalition to Advance Your Organizational Goals and Mission,” will take place [...]