Resources For Engaging Youth in a Digital World

Youth engagement is crucial to the success of any youth program. When you engage youth, it acknowledges their right to participate in decisions that impact them and recognizes the knowledge and skills that they bring to the table. In this workshop, you will walk away with tons of resources and new techniques to engage with your youth digitally.

Working & Growing Together: The Power of Relationships in Youth Development

Utilizing the youth in your community is essential to making sustainable changes. Not only do they offer a unique perspective, they are also capable of energetically working towards their goals and enthusiastically problem-solving. However, engaging youth and keeping them interested in the work they are doing is not always simple. We’ll explore theories behind youth engagement and development and better understand how youth-adult relationships work. We’ll also learn some new techniques to make engaging youth fun for all! 

Building Youth Leaders

At LMTI, we do not believe in the concept of “Born Leaders.” Instead, we believe that there are core skills you can learn and practice to become a more effective leader in a variety of settings. We'll explain some key skills you use to help build the youth leaders you work with. We'll also learn about the Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets Framework, which can be considered a foundation of understanding how youth develop.

Facilitation Nation!

Effective facilitators need to be able to juggle a lot of things while facilitating - group dynamics, maintaining focus, building consensus, and more- all while guiding everyone towards the goal. In this session, we’ll talk about the differences and similarities between facilitation and teaching, and you’ll learn how to combine the two techniques to be a more effective presenter. You’ll also leave this workshop with a few LMTI tricks and tips in your pocket that you can incorporate with your group.

What’s In Your Head: Mental Health 101

Approximately ¼ -⅓ of adolescents struggle with their mental health. Despite this, mental health is often ignored or stigmatized. Mental health is as important as physical health. This workshop is designed to teach participants the basics of mental health, as well as some strategies for promoting wellness in their communities, their peers, and themselves.

Self-Care: Filling Your Cup

Self-care is an essential component of every individual’s mental well-being. Through this workshop, participants will learn about positive psychology concepts, the importance of attitude in relation to wellness, techniques for managing stress, and ways to incorporate practices of self-care in their everyday life.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid USA is an 8 hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Mental Health First Aid uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect young people to professional, peer, social, and self-help care.

The Rainbow Connection: Working with LGBTQ+ Youth

This workshop will take us from understanding the basics of sexual orientation, gender identity, romantic orientation, gender expression (and more) to how to be a good ally. We will discuss risk and protective factors, how to create a safe space, and more. We’ll cover just about everything from Gay to Z!

Don’t Get Vaped In

This workshop, developed by the NJ Department of Health through Tobacco Free for a Healthy NJ, focuses on the newest and upcoming trends in youth vaping and tobacco use. Utilizing a consistently updated Powerpoint presentation, we look to provide information to help better understand how vaping affects youth. This information is beneficial for all school personnel and adults as we look to better address the vaping epidemic in New Jersey.

Project Safe Rx

In this workshop, we will explore the relationships between perception and attitudes towards prescription drug misuse and discuss ways in which the teens you work with can make a difference by implementing LMTI's "Project Safe Rx" program. "Project Safe Rx" is a youth-run campaign that helps to raise awareness about prescription drug misuse among youth, and teaches community members about the importance of properly disposing of unused or unwanted medications.

The TOP Approach: Tackling Opioid Prevention

In 2016, 3.6 percent of adolescents ages 12-17 reported misusing opioids over the past year. This percentage is twice as high among older adolescents and young adults ages 18-25. In this workshop, we will explore the risks associated with opioid misuse, why youth start to use, and how to best prevent someone or yourself from becoming dependent on prescription medication, such as opioids.

Please I.D. Me

This workshop addresses one of the most frequent root causes/local conditions of youth alcohol use- ease of access. In particular, we will explore how alcohol vendors can become active community partners in the effort to reduce the frequency of teenage alcohol use. LMTI's "Please I.D. Me" program is designed to help engage alcohol vendors, liquor store owners, and law enforcement in a community-wide campaign designed to stress the importance of stores asking for identification, and of not buying alcohol more minors.

Please Don't Risk It

This workshop addresses one of the most common root causes/local conditions of youth alcohol use- permissive parental attitudes. In this workshop, we'll explore the ways in which adults/parents providing alcohol to minors can impact teenage alcohol use negatively. We will also discuss social host laws and private property ordinances, and review LMTI's "Please Don't Risk It" campaign, which implores adults to not provide alcohol to their children.

Action Planning for Your Community Alliance or Coalition

All coalitions and alliances want to make their communities safer places to live. However, in order to be as effective as possible, it is important for these groups to go through a strategic process that allows for thoughtful and collaborative assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. In this informative workshop, participants will learn about SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework, as well as CADCA’s 7 Strategies for Community Change, which can, together, create powerful and sustainable community change.

Action Planning with Youth

If you are wondering how you can possibly guide youth through a strategic action planning process, this is the workshop for you! We will take a topic that sounds less than exciting, and help you understand how to understand how to make action planning work for youth. It's not about simplifying the process, it's all about learning how you can empower youth so that they know they have the capacity to do this work!