Own The Upside Trailer

 

Own The Upside Trailer

Learn how to recognize the signs of teen

alcohol, tobacco and substance abuse

Most kids are doing the right thing, but there are signs to watch for to know if they are heading in the wrong direction. Correcting risky behaviors early is the key to successful Prevention!

 

Own The Upside is a campaign formed by the Coalition Partnership of Hardee, Highlands, and Polk Counties to help prevent harm and promote health our youth. We are proud to partner with Polk County Sheriff’s Foundation to present an exciting resource to educate parents of teens in our community.

 

OTUS TRAILER – The “Own the Upside…Avoid the Downside” trailer is a mobile, interactive exhibit housing a replica of a teens’ bedroom that parents can walk through to learn how to recognize clues signaling potential involvement in drugs and risky behaviors visible in plain sight or easily concealed in ordinary everyday items in the room. This presentation is for adults only – no children please!

 

How can you help?

To support efforts to encourage healthy behaviors and reduce substance abuse, your organization may invite a representative from Own The Upside to visit with the “Own the Upside…Avoid the Downside” trailer and share an informative education presentation with members who play a pivotal part in educating youth about making healthy choices, the community standard we all want to promote and grow.

 

To schedule a presentation for Fall 2021, please contact https://www.owntheupsidepolk.com/about-us

Or call (863) 802-0777

 

We look forward to visiting your PTA, PTO, Booster Club, or other adult group in Hardee, Highlands and Polk County soon!

Join Us for the 2021 Red Ribbon Run & Challenge on Saturday October 16th

 

Saturday, October 16, 2021

With hopeful thoughts and continued health and safety measures in mind, InnerAct Alliance is excited about plans to return the traditional family-friendly Red Ribbon Run to our community this Fall to prevent harm and promote health!

InnerAct Alliance’s 2021 Red Ribbon Run & Challenge, presented by title sponsor Publix Super Markets, Inc., will kick off on Saturday, October 16 with the Red Ribbon Run for K-8 students, along with our first ever Family Fun Run around Lake Mirror, PLUS a great new vendor area featuring healthy food and fitness for kids and families. There will also be weekly challenges with themes of Nutrition, Anti-Bullying, and Fitness in a virtual format. 

Please join us for the Red Ribbon Run & Challenge to support substance abuse prevention in our community. Stay tuned for more information which will be announced soon on the event website at www.RedRibbonRun.com

UthMpact Leadership Class XI

 

Students from Polk County high schools have been nominated by their school principals and community members to participate in the 2021-2022 UthMpact Leadership Class XI. This unique program, spearheaded by InnerAct Alliance, StandUP Polk, UthMpact, business and community partners, helps teens develop crucial leadership skills. 35 students from 16 high schools throughout Polk County have been accepted for UthMpact Class XI.

Recently, 14 UthMpact executive board members enjoyed a trip to Anna Maria Island to participate in a 4-day retreat that combined informative training, team building, and lots of learning and fun! The group worked together on social norms skits, began committee work, learned the ins and outs of running a professional meeting, and improved their public speaking skills to prepare for the busy year ahead. 

Enough with E-Cigs!

 

UthMpact Teen Leaders, in partnership with Tobacco Free Florida and S.W.A.T., recently added a new educational page to the UthMpact website to highlight the dangers and issues caused by using e-cigarettes and vaping. Please join us in spreading the word and bringing to light the real threat that vaping imposes on our youth.

Visit

https://www.uthmpact.org/tobacco-free-s-w-a-t

Teen Alcoholism

 

DID YOU KNOW...

Underage drinking is the #1 most abused substance among
high-school aged teens.

Please take a moment to inform yourself and your child about the dangers of teen alcoholism, which can lead to risks such as further experimentation with drugs, legal consequences/arrest, serious injury or death, exposure to unplanned pregnancy, or involvement in violent behavior. We want everyone to have a safe and fun summer!

InnerAct Alliance & UthMpact receive grant from the GiveWell Community Foundation

 

InnerAct Alliance & UthMpact Receive Grant

from the Givewell Foundation

InnerAct Alliance and its youth coalition partner, UthMpact, are proud to have been awarded a $10,000 Impact Polk grant from the George W. Jenkins Fund within the GiveWell Community Foundation to address problems related to youth mental health.   

InnerAct Alliance will use the funds to support efforts of the UthMpact Leadership Program, which brings together young leaders representing every high school in Polk County and nearly every walk of life, to work proactively in schools and in the community. The “UthMpact Leadership’s Focus on Youth Mental Health” project will endeavor to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, encourage self-care, and promote equity by smashing common stereotypes and championing tolerance among teens. UthMpact members will create dynamic virtual messaging featuring profiles of teens who represent different ethnic/racial backgrounds and highlight cultural differences while underscoring similarities. Another objective will offer mental health moments in which teens will share strategies to reduce stress and suggest community resources to peers.   

“We are extremely grateful for the support of the GiveWell Community Foundation to help broaden the reach of UthMpact Leadership Program’s messaging and social norms efforts,” said Angie Ellison, executive director of InnerAct Alliance. 

"We are pleased to award this Impact Polk grant to InnerAct Alliance's UthMpact program on behalf of the George W. Jenkins Fun," said John Attaway, GiveWell Community Foundation's President/CEO. "After a particularly isolating year, providing mental health resources to our community is critical. So, to, is combatting the stigma that prevents people from getting the care and support that they need."

InnerAct Alliance, formerly the Drug Prevention Resource Center, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency established in 1985 in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, to reduce the abuse and underage use of harmful substances along with involvement in other risky behaviors through: Community Awareness and Involvement; Prevention Education; Economic Support; and Leadership Development. The agency serves Hardee, Highlands and Polk County with prevention services including science-based education for elementary and middle school and awareness events that touch the lives of youth, adults, families, businesses, faith-based organizations and others in need with an important substance abuse prevention message. InnerAct Alliance serves as the fiscal agent for the StandUP Polk (adult) and UthMpact (youth) Coalitions for a Drug-Free Polk, collaborations which lead proactive community efforts to reduce underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. 

The mission of the GiveWell Community Foundation (GWCF) is to champion charitable giving to improve the quality of life in the areas we serve, both now and for future generations. We accomplish this by working with individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits to build stronger communities in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties through charitable funds and competitive grant cycles. Since its founding in 1997, the community foundation has awarded more than $230 million in grants. Today, GWCF is home to more than 300 charitable funds and the Impact Polk and Empower Polk grant cycles. To learn more about GWCF, visit givecf.org or call 863-683-3131.

National Prevention Week May 9-15, 2021 Spotlight on Preventing Underage Drinking & Alcohol Misuse

 

Spotlight on Preventing Underage Drinking & Alcohol Misuse

May 9-May 15 is National Prevention Week and today's spotlight is on preventing underage drinking.

THE FACTS: Alcohol is the most widely used substance among youth, often beginning at an early age. In 2019, almost 2.3 million 12-17-year-olds used alcohol for the first time, which is equivalent to about 6,200 youth per day. Early initiation of alcohol use is associated with heavy alcohol use, substance use, and alcohol dependence later in life. Alcohol plays a factor in the death of about 4,300 people under the age of 21 each year, reducing their lives by 60 years!

GOOD NEWS: Underage drinking, binge drinking, and heavy alcohol use among our youth have declined...PREVENTION WORKS! Parents, it's so important to talk to your child about drinking.

RESOURCES: The SAMHSA campaign "Talk. They Hear You" offers some great factual information to start the conversation with your child and continue talking to help prevent underage drinking and alcohol misuse. Click here: 

https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/SAMHSA_Digital_Download/PEP21-03-10-008.pdf

SOCIAL MEDIA: Participate in this year's challenge by sharing where you are preventing substance misuse and suicide. Take a selfie and share on social media #PreventionHappensHere