Not Just a Strategy, But the Heartbeat of Our Work: The Importance of Youth Engagement in Drug-Free Communities Coalitions.

Authors

Chris Taylor, Jerria Martin, Wendy Cummings, Luke Jarvis, Olga Costa, Afra Hussain

Published in

Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP. Volume 32. Issue 6S. Pages S214-S218.

Abstract

The role of youth engagement within Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions, strategies used by coalitions, and actionable recommendations for new and expanding DFC programs.
Youth engagement in DFC coalitions is most effective when coalitions position youth as co-creators, leaders, and drivers of environmental change.
Exploring youth engagement from the perspective of empowerment, youth-adult partnerships, youth as active co-constructors, focus on environmental change, and skill enhancement. Each focus area will draw on examples from coalitions receiving DFC funding.
Findings draw on DFC National Cross-Site Evaluation data and qualitative examples from DFC coalitions. Coalitions using these strategies and values experience stronger engagement, sustainability, and community impact.

PMID:
42771000
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Sep 2026.

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