THREE MARIJUANA PREVENTION EFFORTS IN CALIFORNIA: UNIQUE ASPECTS TO CONSIDER
Throughout California, local prevention projects are working to impact social norms and perceived risk of youth marijuana use. In February 2015, three specific marijuana prevention efforts in California were highlighted in a Community Prevention Initiative webinar titled Marijuana Prevention in Action: Lessons from the Field. This webinar featured program managers from these three efforts, each of whom provided details about strategies, successes, and lessons learned. (See blue textbox for link to webinar.)
Although this edition of PREVENTION TACTICS does not endeavor to capture the breadth or depth of information provided in that webinar, it does explore unique aspects …show more content…
Instead of relying on commonly used extrinsic motivators such as t-shirts and gift cards, the program provides three specific elements to increase youth motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The foundation of iPATH’s approach is grounded in motivation theory outlined in Daniel Pink’s book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. (A summary of Pink’s message is available on the popular TED Talk, The Puzzle of Motivation.)
At its core, iPATH is a youth advisory board of adolescents trained to serve as (1) peer educators for marijuana use prevention and (2) advocates within the community to de-glamorize marijuana use among youth and young adults. iPATH embeds motivation theory into recruitment, training, and retention of youth in a variety of ways, including:
• Recruitment: The recruitment process focuses on youth participants’ purpose at both individual and group levels. Youth are informed that the purpose of the program includes supporting them in living meaningful, healthy, and focused lives. Staff communicates to participants that they are joining a “PATH Family” of hundreds of youth countywide making the choice to contribute their talents to pursue this purpose. Strategies are in place to strengthen this sense of …show more content…
It overcomes this reservation by mobilizing partners. Central to MPI’s infrastructure is a Key Leadership Team that includes San Diego County’s Sheriff’s Department, Office of Education, and Probation; University of California San Diego; Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board; Friday Night Live; and San Diego Unified School District. MPI has worked with team members to streamline protocol for their representative agencies to endorse MPI messages to media. When MPI seeks media coverage of harmful marijuana products and their effects on youth, it uses its Key Leadership Team to influence media cooperation and access. As a result, MPI has been successful in getting multiple media pieces aired/published. (Examples of these are in the February 2015
Throughout California, local prevention projects are working to impact social norms and perceived risk of youth marijuana use. In February 2015, three specific marijuana prevention efforts in California were highlighted in a Community Prevention Initiative webinar titled Marijuana Prevention in Action: Lessons from the Field. This webinar featured program managers from these three efforts, each of whom provided details about strategies, successes, and lessons learned. (See blue textbox for link to webinar.)
Although this edition of PREVENTION TACTICS does not endeavor to capture the breadth or depth of information provided in that webinar, it does explore unique aspects …show more content…
Instead of relying on commonly used extrinsic motivators such as t-shirts and gift cards, the program provides three specific elements to increase youth motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The foundation of iPATH’s approach is grounded in motivation theory outlined in Daniel Pink’s book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. (A summary of Pink’s message is available on the popular TED Talk, The Puzzle of Motivation.)
At its core, iPATH is a youth advisory board of adolescents trained to serve as (1) peer educators for marijuana use prevention and (2) advocates within the community to de-glamorize marijuana use among youth and young adults. iPATH embeds motivation theory into recruitment, training, and retention of youth in a variety of ways, including:
• Recruitment: The recruitment process focuses on youth participants’ purpose at both individual and group levels. Youth are informed that the purpose of the program includes supporting them in living meaningful, healthy, and focused lives. Staff communicates to participants that they are joining a “PATH Family” of hundreds of youth countywide making the choice to contribute their talents to pursue this purpose. Strategies are in place to strengthen this sense of …show more content…
It overcomes this reservation by mobilizing partners. Central to MPI’s infrastructure is a Key Leadership Team that includes San Diego County’s Sheriff’s Department, Office of Education, and Probation; University of California San Diego; Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board; Friday Night Live; and San Diego Unified School District. MPI has worked with team members to streamline protocol for their representative agencies to endorse MPI messages to media. When MPI seeks media coverage of harmful marijuana products and their effects on youth, it uses its Key Leadership Team to influence media cooperation and access. As a result, MPI has been successful in getting multiple media pieces aired/published. (Examples of these are in the February 2015