Stark County Youth Led Prevention is a leadership
organization through Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health that allows
students and young adults to become more engaged and involved in their
community. Facilitated by Prevention Specialists Hannah Cowie and Marissa
Cooney, the SCYLP program focuses on adolescent experiences through spreading
awareness, educating community members, and socializing with peers surrounding
issues of mental health and substance use prevention and control. This group is
open to young adults ages 14-20 who are interested in bettering the Stark
County community through utilizing their unique perspective and voice.
Testimonies
“I originally joined SCYLP because my counselor told me about me about. I continue going because I realized it was not only fun, but doing something productive is great for my mental health! SCYLP is all of the fun parts of a group project without all of the bad parts.” -Travis
“ SCYLP is a fun, laid-back group that allows me to become an active member of my community. By attending meetings, I am given the opportunity to earn service hours and also eat food and dessert, which is always an extra bonus provided! Since day one, I have felt more involved, and the kind members are always nice to socialize with. Hannah and Marissa have provided a welcoming environment for me and anyone else and have given me the chance to feel like a leader.” - Kiersten
Past Projects and Future Plans
Our members have spent their time and energy this past year
completing several projects with resources to share with the community. Our
first big project was completed in December 2020 and consisted of mental health
care packages to promote self-care within the community. These packages were
constructed by the teens of SCYLP and distributed at 4 community locations for
individuals and families to take home.
The youth have also created two original campaigns to spread awareness of substance use the first being titled “You’re Not Getting Away with It”. This campaign reminded young adults of the health risks that using substances poses while simultaneously providing local resources and information for teens and young adults to turn to.
Our second campaign was recently completed by the teens.
This campaign focused on bringing awareness to the typical misconceptions of
substance use and mental health. The teens used their personal experiences to
identify common myths spread through their schools and communities. They then
completed research to identify the truth about these topics. These myths and
facts were then compiled into a series of social media posts that will be
shared on the SCYLP Instagram starting in May as a way to bring attention to
Mental Health Awareness Month.
Throughout this past year, the members of SCYLP have
contributed to several community engagement projects at their home at Child
& Adolescent Behavioral Health. The members have created two bulletin
boards to continue bringing attention to positive mental health while bringing
an interactive component to the hallways at the agency. Each board is comprised
of positive reminders and resources of what being a part of the Stark County
community truly means.
SCYLP is looking forward to collaborating with other community organizations and agencies this summer. We plan to be active in various Stark County events including: Canton First Friday, 720 Market, and local farmer’s markets. Be on the lookout for our table and members who are excited to meet you and share all about our group!
How to Get Involved
SCYLP is always looking for kind humans to join our group!
You can reach out to us through:
Email: scylp@childandadolescent.org
Instagram: @starkyouthled
Remind App: @scylpcomm
