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Brizy #6692

Environmental Scans

The purpose of the Environmental Scan is to go into a local store/establishment to look around and take notes on what can be seen throughout its atmosphere. This helps identify factors (both negative and positive) in the community that may contribute to or help reduce alcohol and tobacco use and problems related to their usage.

With this guide you will be able to put together the campaign with the help of LMTI and lead your Action Group through some critical thinking about the misinformation that Big Tobacco spreads.

Goal

Gather Data

Target Audience

Alcohol

Tobacco

Strategies

Providing Information

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LMTI Spotlight – Self-Care

LMTI SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight On: Self-Care

Last week, during one of our LMTI Lives (catch us every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30pm on Instagram!), I joked that we were in our 8,000th day of quarantine. And while I know it’s not quite 8,000 days, these past few months seem to have stretched on for a loooooong time. Some have had to adjust to working from home. Some have had to continue to go to work and risk their own health to help keep others safe. Some have lost jobs. Some have watched kitchen tables turn into makeshift classrooms, and have had to simultaneously learn a new way to do long division (Seriously? What was wrong with the old way?), while consoling a child who is distraught because they haven’t seen their best friend in months. Some didn’t get the joy of seeing a child, who worked so hard, for so many years, graduate from high school. Some have been sick with COVID-19. Some have lost a loved one and have had to grieve from afar. Some have finally opened their eyes to systemic injustice and racism. Some feel outrage that it’s taken so many, so long, to pay attention to the disproportionate pain and suffering of Black people. Some are doing the work of learning and unlearning, and some are raising their voices in protest.

Wherever you find yourself on the journey that 2020 has been, the importance of self care cannot be overstated right now. Self care is the practice of intentionally doing things to heal and replenish yourself emotionally, mentally, and physically, especially during times of stress. Self care is essential for E V E R Y O N E. When we pause to check in with ourselves and take steps to care for ourselves, we are better able to face challenges, overcome obstacles, and help the youth we work with. And it’s not all candles and bubble baths (though if that works for you- awesome!) Self care can be as simple as purposefully putting your phone down and using that time to go for a walk around the block, or doing a breathing exercise to help quiet your mind when stress starts to build. It can be taking a break from work to play with your kids for a half an hour, or Facetiming with your siblings. If you are engaging in activism, maybe it’s taking one day during the week to focus on the things that heal you, like meditation or taking your pet for a walk, so that you can recenter and ground yourself.

As adults who work with youth, it is so important for us to 1) model positive and healthy self care for our students, and 2) provide our students with tangible ways that they can practice self care, so that they can develop or improve habits that they can carry with them through adolescence and into adulthood. This week, we are providing resources for you AND for your students. Remember- self care is not selfish.  Identifying and taking time for your own needs allows you to be more effective is all areas of your life. Commit to taking time for yourself this week, and remind the students you work with to do the same!

Webinar Series

In our latest webinar, join Rachel Taylor, LMTI’s Assistant Supervisor, as she talks about all things Self Care. Be sure to watch for tips and ideas on how you can recharge your own batteries, and help the youth you work with to recharge theirs, too.

Journal Printouts

A free resource you can share with the teenagers you work with filled with easy to do positive self care and mindfulness activities. We’ll be providing new pages every week, so they can build a journal that will grow and grow!

Resources

An ever growing list of resources that can provide support, hope, and help can be accessed on the LMTI Resources Page.

You can also check out these links, which feature helpful articles and other resources specific to youth leadership:

This website is a hub for all things mindfulness and self-care. They have free guided meditations, music playlists, and tons of other resources.

This website was created by a music therapist to help other professionals decrease rates of burnout and stress by discovering what self-care strategies work for them.

This article from DoSomething.org is written to help Black youth learn more about how to get involved in activism and how to protect/heal from racial trauma as a result of racial injustice.

Please continue to let us know how we can help YOU help the youth you work with during this time. Thank you for believing in the power of youth!

The LMTI Staff

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LMTI Spotlight Uncategorized

LMTI Spotlight – Youth Leadership

LMTI SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight On: Youth Leadership

If there is one word that is synonymous with LMTI, it’s probably LEADERSHIP. At LMTI, we are firm believers that there is no such thing as a born leader. If we believe that leaders are just born that way, then we believe that leadership can’t be taught, learned, or enhanced- you’ve either got it, or you don’t. This theory would cut off most of the youth we work with from ever even taking a step toward believing they have the potential to lead! The question is, how do we teach leadership? How can we take a concept that seems so abstract and make it something that everyone can understand, learn, and practice?

One our very favorite examples is from the incredible author, presenter, and trainer, Michael Brandwein. In his books (go buy them all right now), he compares leadership to plumbing. Plumbing? Yes, plumbing. If we were going to create a program for plumbers, we’d know exactly what to teach them. There would be presentations on wrenches and bolts, workshops on best practices in unclogging drains, and we’d all practice “lefty loosey, righty tighty.” But leadership? What can you teach? Well, you’ve got to approach in the same way. What are the specific things we want our youth leaders to be able to do? What are the core qualities they need in order to be able to do those things? If we want them to be able to lead small group discussions, we teach them group facilitation skills and empathy and we give them opportunities to practice running groups and being empathetic. If we want them to be be able to be able to present a project to the principal at our school, we teach them about public speaking and we give them opportunities to practice, practice, practice. We help youth identify the qualities they’ve already got strength in and we help them develop the qualities they don’t through practice. Plumbing. Leadership. Perfect together! 

Our Spotlight this week features a webinar and resources that you can use to hit the ground running with a group of youth leaders, or to brush up if you’ve been working with your group for awhile. There are also a few resources below that focus particularly on opportunities for our youth leaders to do what they do best- lead- even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Webinar Series

Join LMTI Training Coordinator, Corey Donetz, and learn more about how we can help young leaders grow. We’ll explain some key skills you can 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.

Journal Printouts

A free resource you can share with the teenagers you work with filled with easy to do positive self care and mindfulness activities. We’ll be providing new pages every week, so they can build a journal that will grow and grow!

Resources

An ever growing list of resources that can provide support, hope, and help can be accessed on the LMTI Resources Page.

You can also check out these links, which feature helpful articles and other resources specific to youth leadership:

Check out more info on the Search Institute’s framework, which contains supports and strengths that young people need to succeed.

Portland State University provides a great list of tangible activities that young leaders can get involved with during this pandemic. Some are specifc to Oregon, but most can be adapted for wherever you live!

More info from the Search Institute, this time about how to help youth of all ages discover ways that they can feel helpful and hopeful during a time of crisis.

Please continue to let us know how we can help YOU help the youth you work with during this time. Thank you for believing in the power of youth!

The LMTI Staff

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Summer Leadership Conference 2020 Update

SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2020 UPDATE

An Important Message About the LMTI Summer Leadership Conference from Jamie Sierfeld, LMTI Director

We are deeply saddened to share the disappointing news that we will not be hosting the LMTI Summer Leadership Conference this August. After reviewing CDC guidelines and American Camping Association recommendations for health and safety during this time and having countless back and forth discussions among our staff, we have arrived at the decision that there is just not a feasible way for us to come together at Camp Mason in the way that we usually do.

For our staff, to give this news to you is heart breaking. We know the value that LMTI has for your students, and to not be able to provide this experience for them, especially during this time, is so difficult. As a youth leadership organization, we will be actively engaging our youth and college staff in helping us to figure out the “what now?” and we have no doubt that these young leaders will help guide us in the right direction. They always do.

We are working diligently to provide you and your students with alternative types of programs and support virtually for now, and in person during the fall and winter months when we are hopefully able to be together again. We will be in touch soon with descriptions of those programs and more info on how you can participate.

Thank you for your continued patience and support during this trying time. We know this isn’t the news that you hoped for, but we know that we are making the right decision for the health and safety of the LMTI family. Wishing you and your families continued health and peace.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at jsierfeld@pipnj.org.

Thank you,

Jamie

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LMTI Spotlight

LMTI Spotlight – Youth Engagement

LMTI SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight On: Youth Engagement

Youth engagement is at the heart of all we do at LMTI. We spend most of our time figuring out the most effective, most creative, and most FUN ways to give youth opportunities to develop the skills they need to make positive changes in their schools and communities. We find that the most important aspect of youth engagement is really all about connection. We also know that there is a big difference between being connected and feeling connection. Youth today are more connected than ever through smart phones and social media, but that does not mean that they are always experiencing the value of real human connection. Especially right now, when connection is impeded because of COVID-19 and social distancing, many youth may be feeling isolated or alone, even if they are on their phones texting their friends all night long. As adults who work with youth, we have an opportunity to adjust our sails and figure out how to reach out to the members of our Action Groups, school clubs, sports teams, or classrooms, even when we cannot physically connect with them, because when we are apart, relationships matter more than ever.

The information in this week’s Spotlight is all about how positive relationships with youth are the foundation from which we can build effective youth engagement. Again, these resources are great for anytime, but I hope you’ll take some time now to think about how you can continue to support and engage the youth in your life, even under our current circumstances.

Webinar Series

Join LMTI Director, Jamie Sierfeld, and learn more about what we really need to do to engage youth. We’ll explore the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework to help us understand the importance of creating meaningful relationships with youth and how this can be the foundation for giving them the opportunity to make a true impact in their schools and communities. 

We’ve pre-recorded this session so you can watch it at your leisure, and share with anyone who you think would like to see it!

Journal Printouts

A free resource you can share with the teenagers you work with filled with easy to do positive self care and mindfulness activities. We’ll be providing new pages all the time, so they can build a journal that will grow and grow!

Resources

An ever growing list of resources that can provide support, hope, and help can be accessed on the LMTI Resources Page.


You can also check out these links, which feature helpful articles and other resources specific to supporting adolescent/teenager mental health during this pandemic:

A great, online quiz to use during this time of social distancing to help improve your interactions with the youth you work with. When you receive your results, you’ll also receive approaches and activities you can use to help you, even during this time!

A helpful checklist from the Search Institute that will help you discover how you connect with and engage the youth you work with virtually.

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LMTI Spotlight

LMTI Spotlight: Mental Health

LMTI SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight On: Mental Health

As we all work together to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are thinking a lot about the youth in our lives. Youth everywhere are feeling the impact of this global crisis. Adolescents and teenagers are at particular risk during this time, as we know that this age group often responds more strongly to stress during difficult times. The loss of school, regular activities, positive support of teachers and other adults, and social distance from peers makes youth even more vulnerable. Those who have a pre-existing mental health condition, those who are experiencing family struggle related to disparity and/or the coronavirus, and those who facing additional stigma may be affected even more.  It’s so much for our youth to handle.

We owe it to our youth, even though we may not be able to be physically with them right now, to give them our support and help them cope during this difficult time. The more we know about mental health ourselves, the more we can help our youth.

We’ve compiled and created some helpful resources that are good to use anytime, but that you may find especially helpful right now:

Webinar Series

Join our Assistant Supervisor, Rachel Taylor, as she explores the basics of Mental Health. This presentation contains great info with accessible language and practical knowledge for both youth and adults.

We’ve pre-recorded this session and kept it to 30 minutes long (in case you are feeling webinar/Zoomed out like we are!) so you can watch it at your leisure.

Journal Printouts

A free resource you can share with the teenagers you work with filled with easy to do positive self care and mindfulness activities. We’ll be providing new pages every week, so they can build a journal that will grow and grow!

Resources

An ever growing list of resources that can provide support, hope, and help can be accessed on the LMTI Resources Page.

You can also check out these links, which feature helpful articles and other resources specific to supporting adolescent/teenager mental health during this pandemic:

CDC- Stress & Coping

UNICEF- How teenagers can protect their mental health during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Mental Health First Aid- Tips to Help Teens Cope During COVID-19

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Brizy #4012

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Prevention Portal

CADCA: Planning

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CADCA: Environmental Strategies

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The Trevor Project

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