Adding and/or replacing group members, creating meeting schedules, finding meeting locations and attending regular meetings.

Creation and submission of internal policies for addressing potential issues of member substance use.

Attending MYV statewide training events and participating in related workshops.

Planning and implementing group activities selected from MYV Activity Menu towards MYV goals.

Completion and submission of quarterly narrative and fiscal reports.

Media representation of MYV messages and events have occurred through broadcast television news coverage of Project Sticker Shock events, newspaper articles, and coverage on YES! TV.

The Cumberland County MYV youth group has been publishing the MYV newsletter. It includes group reports and photos from each of the MYV sites on activity progress and general news, as well as breaking underage drinking prevention news. The intent of the newsletter is to report on MYV work as well as underage drinking prevention efforts by other youth groups statewide for the purpose of unifying MYV groups, gaining support, recognition and additional media exposure of MYV goals and messages, and to share effective youth strategies with other youth. Additional goals include keeping readers informed of national research and trends. Hard-copy and electronic mailings of over 1000 newsletters go to schools, prevention specialists, state representatives, MYV youth members and other stakeholders in underage drinking prevention. Subscribe to newsletter.

Informational school bulletin boards.

Educating all 120 MYV members in environmental strategy interactive workshops.

Partnering with law enforcement agencies for co-sponsored educational events and in one case, to make the Sheriff a group member.

Adult video presentation in support of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse Parent media campaign including video, description and distribution of the Parent Media packet with over 20 community adults in the audience.

Parent Media campaign presentation to over one-hundred 9th and 10th grade students and to an adult group.

Four MYV groups participated in Project Sticker Shock in December. Close to 10,000 stickers were placed on containers of alcoholic beverages at 18 different stores in 4 Maine communities.

Community Forum with students, college students and local law enforcement.

Workshops presented to teens and adults at the Maine Youth Action Network conference.

Presentations to school health classes and introduction of the subject as part of the health class curriculum.

Adult presentation to 100 community attendees during a Substance Abuse Prevention meeting.

Local merchant Advertising Avalanche surveys completed and forwarded to OSA/One ME.

Active participation in local community fair, presentation of driving impaired go-kart and goggles in cooperation with local law enforcement.

In-depth interview surveys of law enforcement practices and attitudes in support of the Youth Empowerment and Policy Group initiative.

Presentation to city council regarding the importance of the underage drinking issue and awareness of the group as a resource to the community.

News article activity successfully implemented with first of 4 articles published by the youth.

Mailing and in-person distribution of 1000 flyers to community members.

Middle and High School essay contests with alcohol use and consequences as the topic, judged by town selectmen.

Drunk driving workshop delivered school-wide through video and post-video intensive discussions surrounding legal ramifications in an actual underage drunk driving incident. Over 100 students participated.

Interactive theatre group presentations to high school and middle school students with underage drinking educational messages.

Creation and distribution of brochures with underage drinking messages, alternatives and invitations to join MYV groups throughout high schools to hundreds of students.

Attendance at meetings to receive training on social norms theory and MYDAUS (Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey) results in order to create group awareness of strategies to begin changing social norms at the high school and middle school level.

Significant work by four groups on examining school alcohol use policies, making recommendations and creating dialogues with superintendents and school boards.

Dinner presentations to school faculty, school board members, school leadership, law enforcement agencies and parents about efforts adults can make to contribute to underage drinking prevention.

Display booths and social norm presentations to over 400 School and Community Fair attendees in two communities.

Involving town selectmen in school alcohol awareness projects.

Partnering with law enforcement agencies for co-sponsored educational events.

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For further information or to receive the MYV newsletter contact: David McDermott AdCare Educational Institute 75 Stone St., Augusta, ME 04330 E-mail: Telephone: 207.626.3615 TTY: 207.623.0830 Fax: 207.621.2550 Other AdCare Maine Prevention Programs: Youth Empowerment and Policy Project Student Intervention and Reintegration Program