This poem was written by Evolver Arlene Munoz, sophomore at Arrowhead Park Early College HS in Las Cruces about the 24/7 campaign – helping schools be tobacco-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Your Choice
Both men and women,
Smoking cigarettes became a “trend”
Teenagers aged exposed and addicted to smoking,
Death is the next door.
Technology like tv, movies and videos,
Influence kids to try smoking,
No bad warnings given at anytime.
Dear person reading this,
Tobacco damages your respiratory system,
Your amazing white teeth get stained,
Wow and just the pain you imagine!
From suffering like heart problems, cancer, lung disease.
It’s time we say YES to right choices.
It’s time to say NO to bad choices.
It’s time we say YES to health.
It’s time to say NO to bad choices.
My name is Miazha and I am a junior at Riverbend High School. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to be a part of the Y Street Leadership Team for my first time this year. It’s very exciting to take on more tasks for Y Street and be exposed to important people who help make real changes!!!
One campaign I’ve grown to be very passionate about is Great Starts With Breakfast. This campaign is important because eating breakfast in the morning is so important, and it helps students learn better when they’ve eaten a healthy breakfast. Students who do not eat breakfast in the morning tend to act out in class, causing problems in the classroom because they’re so hungry. We can help put an end to students coming to school hungry by making breakfast more accessible for all students. Studies have shown that eating breakfast helps students’ productivity increase, helping us focus and perform better on tests.
One of the ways we’re encouraging more schools to adopt alternative models and get more students to eat breakfast this fall is through participating in the Virginia Breakfast Challenge! The Virginia Breakfast Challenge is a statewide initiative focused on rewarding students and schools for eating more breakfast. At my school, we are hosting a Breakfast Club Card Challenge, where students receive prizes for eating breakfast. The more breakfasts they eat, the higher the rewards! It’s important for us, as students, to stand together to put an end to kids being hungry and to help students of all ages succeed in the classroom through offering breakfast at times that are more convenient for our schedules. I hope after reading this that everyone in our community will show awareness of this issue and implement a change!
For more information on the Virginia Breakfast Challenge, visit http://vabreakfast.org/.
My name is Dakota Kahley and I am a senior at Stafford High School. I have been in Y Street for 4 years and this will be my 3rd year on the Y Street Leadership Team.
Every summer, as leadership team members, we are invited to attend the YSLT Kick Off Summit. At the Summit, we attend workshops that educate us on tobacco and obesity issues, the campaigns for the upcoming year, and how to be professional. These workshops give us the tools to help us be stronger leaders in our schools and communities. My favorite session this year was one called “UZOO,” where we had to number values or personality traits on a scale to find out what our leadership style was. Each style (which related to an animal) highlighted our strengths, motivators for success, and how best we work with others. This session showed us that there are different kinds of leaders based on one’s personality and how we can use each other’s strengths to work together successfully.
In addition to the workshops, we also participate in activities that engage us in our community. This year, we went to G.H. Reid Elementary School and volunteered with Renew Richmond to build a greenhouse so that the students who attend school there can plant and grow fresh fruits and vegetables. It felt so good to go out into the Richmond community and work on a project that would directly help these students, who may live in a food desert, have access to fresh and healthy foods. Every year we also host a networking lunch, where we invite local professionals in to meet us and learn more about Y Street. I really like the networking lunch because even though we are teaching others about Y Street and the work we do, it is also a learning experience for us to hear from professionals who’ve made careers out of working on the same issues that we work on in Y Street.
In the evenings, we took a break from workshops and got the chance to connect through fun activities like Jumpology and mystery escape rooms. They were awesome! Both activities were focused on having fun while helping us build a team in the process. At Jumpology, a few of the members did a ninja-styled ropes course. Rooting for your new friends to succeed against the obstacles was a great activity that helped bring us closer to one another.
Throughout the whole summit though, my favorite activity by far was connecting and sharing ideas with fellow youth activists from across the Commonwealth! Throughout my years on the YSLT, I have made so many friends at these Summits. I’ve even met someone whom I consider to be my best friend here. The opportunity to work at this level and have this experience with her, as well as other amazing youth activists, was and is something that I will never forget!
My name is Charlotte Stalker from Las Cruces, and I am currently a member of the Evolvement New Mexico Leadership Team. This is my second year in the leadership team, which means I’ve gotten to organize and work events for both the 24/7 and No Minor Sale campaigns.
September 16-17
th, 2017 was the Diez y Seis de Septiembre Fiesta in Mesilla, NM, which I organized as an Evolvement Leadership Team member. We set up a booth with a plinko board to try and draw people to the table, in addition to walking around the festival asking people to fill out the survey for No Minor Sale. We collected over 200 hundred surveys in addition to 15 support cards, which give people the chance to write a personal message about why they want to end illegal tobacco sales to youth. We had interactions with a lot of shop owners who wholeheartedly supported our cause, which was really great because they’re the people we want to ally with.
Getting the chance to talk with community members outside of my school is a completely new experience for me. We get to have meaningful conversations with people who are genuinely interested in the issue and can help make changes about issues they’re passionate about. Talking to community members not only can help boost self-confidence and speaking skills, but it also provides a unique opportunity to speak on an issue you’re passionate about, such as underage tobacco use. That’s why I wanted to focus on organizing community events for Evolvers this year, and it’s been a great experience.
For more information on the No Minor Sale campaign, visit
www.NoMinorSale.com.
My name is Kevin Pulido and I’m a sophomore at Roswell High School. Since I joined Evolvement a year ago, I have been working on the 24/7 campaign to help make my school and all New Mexico schools truly tobacco-free. Throughout the year, I have participated in 24/7 events at my school, met with my high school principal to talk about resources available to him, and presented to the Roswell Independent School Board to talk about why it’s important to update our tobacco-free policy.
When I presented at my school board meeting, I talked about how we could update our tobacco policy to be comprehensive and all the benefits that would come along with it. I received a lot of great feedback about how Roswell Independent School District could benefit from the free resources provided by 24/7, including the 24/7 toolkit and bilingual, tobacco-free signs. The school board said they would be reviewing a portion of the policy that same week and they were grateful to me for providing them with resources and recommendations for policy updates, because they planned to use them in their review session.
This meeting was beneficial because once the school board updates the policy to be comprehensive, all the schools within my district will be covered by a comprehensive, tobacco-free policy and all will also receive free 24/7 signs and resources communicating this positive change. In the beginning I felt a little nervous, but after the meeting, I left confident that we’re moving closer to our goal of all New Mexico schools becoming truly tobacco-free.
Hello, my name is Katey Green, and I am a senior at Los Alamos High School. I am a part of the 2017-18 Evolvement New Mexico Leadership Team (ENMLT). As an Evolver I have had many great opportunities including leading 24/7 campaign event at my school for Kick Butts Day and meeting with my principal about the 24/7 campaign. I am super excited to be a part of ENMLT because of the great opportunities and experiences it will bring.
The Evolvement New Mexico Leadership Team (ENMLT) Summit is a special event held for youth leaders across New Mexico that combines learning and fun to help the leadership team better understand their resources. It also allows the youth advocates to gain skills with Evolvement so they can properly execute their role as trailblazers in their school and communities. In July 2017, I attended the ENMLT Summit along with 11 of my peers, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a great experience – I am not only a stronger leader but I am also a stronger person after attending it. At the Summit, I learned more about Evolvement and what I can do to better my school and community. I enhanced my public speaking skills, became a stronger leader, learned more about policy change and analysis, and gained expertise on our campaigns. I also received planning skills for trainings and events and learned the importance of staying organized. Most of all, I met great people and had so much fun getting to know other Evolvers across New Mexico.
Being a part of ENMLT, I have realized that we, youth activists, are the building blocks for a better, tobacco-free future for our peers, and I am excited to lead others at my school. I look forward working with my fellow Evolvers to make an impact in my community through our campaigns.
My name is Lyndsey Dillingham and I am writing this at the conclusion of my junior year. This upcoming school year will be my second year on YSLT and my third year in Y Street altogether. My passion for improving the health of our home state led me to participate in as many campaign events as possible, specifically Great Starts With Breakfast. Furthermore, being invited to update the Petersburg School Board policy to include technologically advanced tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, opened my eyes to the difference I could make alongside other Y-Sters who have dedicated much of their time to one common interest: educating the people, networking in order to involve Key Decision Makers, and, overall, pushing for the improvements on obesity and tobacco issues.
The hard work I geared towards these campaigns and enthusiasm I expressed led to the opportunity of going to the 9th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference in San Diego, California. Morgan Swindall, a prominent YSLT member and great friend, and I traveled to San Diego with the outstanding Audrey Blute, hardly knowing what we would possibly say to allow others to relate to youth involvement in such widespread, award-winning organizations. So, once arrived at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, we immediately unpacked and beelined for the poster room, exploring the different organizations, motives, issues, and people. The California Endowment caught our eyes last minute before leaving, not only because they had free water bottles, but also because it was one of the organizations that was hosting the entire conference. They were attacking diabetes through sugary beverages and educating others on the effects on California communities, similar to our Rev Your Bev campaign here in Virginia. We were ecstatic to see people from all over displaying how they are contributing to the obesity epidemic running rampant in the United States. After that, we met the California Youth Advisory Board, the individuals who organized the 4-day event, practiced our lines for the GSWB presentation, and relaxed in order to prepare for the Youth Involvement session we were to participate in the following morning. The day of, we were honored to meet Henry, another member of our panel from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, who is practically an expert when it comes to educating others all over the country on the campaigns Y-Sters rigorously work on. The panel included two women from LA, one California Youth Advisory Board member, our introducer, Henry, Morgan, and me. Our session was approximately 50% presenting and 50% Q & A. When being questioned, we were able to go in depth in our involvement as youth and what we believed to be best when discussing how to communicate and get youth involved to begin with. We used the YSLT Summits, monthly calls, and easy access to hosting events as examples for those in want of engaging youth in their own organizations. We emphasized that allotting youth a greater responsibility in these campaigns allows for more widespread, impactful differences as we, the youth, leave feeling accomplished and proud of the work we leave behind for future members.
Neither Morgan nor I had ever been to the West Coast before, so that in itself was a phenomenal opportunity I never expected to have when I applied for the Leadership Team. Then, when we were exposed to the same passion and enthusiasm for change that we expressed back home, it opened up a new perspective for the issues we tackle. The same issues are being addressed, and our purpose was simply to grant several examples as to what they could do in their own communities, engaging youth, which would, in turn, engage our future.
Hello! My name is Faviola Marin, and I recently graduated from V. Sue Cleveland High School and the Evolvement program. I started Evolvement three years ago, unaware of how it would impact my life. I was a shy sophomore, not really sure how to talk to people, but here I was thrown to the wolves at my first event: The National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show. It was completely nerve-racking, going up to adults to ask if they knew anything about Clear the Haze, our campaign at the time. You had people who misinterpreted what we were trying to do and some people who brushed it off cause we were kids, but you also had those people who, although they saw us as kids, were inspired to see us succeed and thought we were doing a fantastic thing.
Through many events this was a constant thing I saw — you had people who used tobacco and had no idea how harmful it actually was tell you they decided to change their ways. And I think that’s the most important thing you can take from being in Evolvement — knowing that you actually impacted at least one person through the many escapades; knowing that even you, the shy one, have grown as a leader in the youth community; realizing that your voice is heard.
When I started I didn’t think my voice mattered, I didn’t want to be heard because I thought I would waste my time, but that wasn’t the case at all. Having done Evolvement for three years and been involved in the leadership team for two, you get so many amazing opportunities and friends along the way. You see all the hard work you’ve done broadcasted on the news. You’re able to talk to legislators who believe in the same things you do and start to see a change. You feel the impact when you start going into your own community and talking to principals, the school board, and even your own representative, thinking, “wow, I really am making a change and all these people acknowledge it!”
If it wasn’t for Evolvement I wouldn’t have found a passion, a voice, and the people who have truly impacted my life, making me who I am today. Thank you for the past three years, I’ll miss this.
Kick Butts Day (March 15, 2017) is a nationwide day of action where youth across the country participate in tobacco-free efforts. This year, Evolvers participated with 24/7 campaign events to help promote a tobacco-free school environment. Event activities included an interactive “In My Lifetime” banner, a photo pledge, and 24/7 assessment collection. Here is what Evolvers had to say about the importance of 24/7 and tobacco-free school environments:
“The 24/7 campaign is a great way to help students learn about the risks of tobacco and limit exposure to young people. Tobacco-free schools are only the beginning of a tobacco-free future.” -Katey, Los Alamos HS
“24/7 campaign resources makes it easier to communicate and enforce our tobacco-free policy. This is a simple, cost-free, and effective way to ensure that our schools are a tobacco-free environment, 24 hours a day, 24/7 days a week.” -Charlotte, Arrowhead Park Early College High School in Las Cruces
“Through working on the 24/7 campaign, I have learned how to be a leader and communicate the importance of a tobacco-free environment.” -Aylin, Gadsden HS
“The 24/7 campaign is necessary in schools because it is an amazing way to let people students know about the risks of using tobacco and bring awareness about the importance of tobacco-free schools.” -Allyssa, Arrowhead Park Early College HS in Las Cruces
In total, the event generated more than 1,078 24/7 assessments – effectively engaging more than 850 students, staff, and visitors and evaluating their awareness of their school’s tobacco policies.
My name is Destiny Zukevich, and I’m a senior and Tucumcari High School. I have been an Evolvement member for one year, and throughout that time I’ve worked on Evolvement’s Clear The Haze campaign, attended events, joined the Evolvement Leadership Team, and most recently began working on Evolvement’s 24/7 campaign.
The 24/7 campaign works to make New Mexico schools truly tobacco-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My favorite part about working on this campaign has been reaching out to people to educate them about the harmful effects of commercial tobacco products, and how they should not be used in school environments by anyone at any time.
The reason I’m so passionate about the 24/7 campaign is because of my family. I have many family members who smoke cigarettes and they all have health problems on top of that. Because of this, I really fear for all of their health. Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death, and someday I hope it isn’t a cause at all. Tobacco use is a big problem with youth my age as well. So many kids do it because it is popular and cool, but I think the 24/7 campaign can help make tobacco uncool by eliminating commercial tobacco’s influence in school environments. To make this work, I hope to do many events and projects with 24/7 to help reach this goal.
By educating students, staff, and visitors about their tobacco policies and helping divisions update their policies, I can make a big difference in my community. If there are young people working together to educate people about things like tobacco danger in our schools, school officials will surely make these necessary changes. I believe in fighting for what I believe in, and I hope to make New Mexico a safer and healthier place, one school at a time.