Greater Understanding
e group handles a variety of tasks, including presenting information during parent’s night. In one such meeting, they focused on mental health and drug addiction from a teen perspective. In passing conversations, King says he makes sure to give credit where credit is due. “Some adults in the community spoke to me, and said they heard we were doing a presentation,” King says. “I said ‘No, our youth are putting on this event.’’’ Youth Led Prevention Program Coordinator Jessica Mays also helps oversee the group. A mental health professional will be present at the youth-led meeting, in the event an adult asks a question the group nds dicult to answer. While still in its early stages, the group is also working to organize funds to help provide water, or other resources in Flint, Michigan. King says working with the youth also generates new and useful information. When a new drug or activity happens in the community, the teens will often bring it to King’s attention. King says this will often trigger him to do more research. “I’m able to start addressing it before it hits the community hard,” King says. e Lima UMADAOP is part of a larger federation of UMADAOPs throughout the state of Ohio. All UMADAOP locations focus on serving the needs of urban minorities. Similarly, the Lima Village Youth Led Community Coalition works with other youth led groups at UMADAOPs throughout the state of Ohio. Each youth alliance group looks a little dierent. All together, the youth led group collective is known as QUAAD, or Quality Urban Alliance Approaching Destiny. “Now, we realize the bene t of the federation, to be able to publically move as an Ohio urban unit,”Mays says. In total, UMADAOP operates 11 locations in urban areas throughout the state of Ohio. Stronger Together
information from a teen perspective to the community, King says. King has worked with the Lima UMADAOP for around 15 years; he attends these youth meetings, but he’s only there to sometimes help nudge kids in the right direction. “e adult is just there to guide them if there’s a situation or if they get stuck,” King says. Being selected to participate in the Village Youth Led Community Coalition somewhat resembles being chosen as a captain on the basketball team.
e youth recruited have a history with UMADAOP, King says. In some cases, the youth have worked at UMADAOP over the summer. In other cases, teens recruit additional members. King says the casual environment suits the kids. He says it’s a setting where kids have the opportunity to show leadership, have discussions and disagree, if necessary. “ere’s not the negativity that most people would think young people would bring to a setting,” King says. “ey dialogue things out and come to a conclusion.”
Every Wednesday, a group of approximately ve kids gathers to discuss drug and alcohol prevention strategies. But there’s something dierent about this group. Here, at the Village Youth Led Community Coalition, the young adults take charge of leadership. e students, ages 15 to 18, draft the itinerary, take notes and keep meeting minutes, assistant director Marcell King says. e groups provide youth a voice and allow teens the opportunity to bring drug and alcohol addiction
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