ACYAC (Alamance County Youth Advisory Council)
The Alamance County Youth Advisory Council (ACYAC) is a group of youth who advocate for the needs of other youth specifically addressing the problem of underage drinking. Comprised of local high school age youth, ACYAC meets twice monthly under adult leadership where they receive training on advocacy, public speaking, substance abuse, parliamentary procedures, communication, and media literacy.
ACYAC Activities
- Planning and organizing a Town it Back Town Hall Meeting
- Providing skill building workshops for students at the annual Middle School Team Summit
- Presenting the NC Parent Network annual meeting with over 100 substance abuse professionals in attendance
- Presentations at the Student Athlete Summer Institute
- Conducts Train the Trainer programs for the local high school Dream Teams
- Involved with The Prom Promise Campaign
- Engages in advocacy efforts by writing letter and making calls to state representative
- Meets twice a month to receive education and training
ACYAC members serve as peer leaders and educators targeting parents, other youth and the community in general. Blending community based public health approaches to include environmental strategies as outlined in the 2007 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, ACYAC works to change public perceptions and attitudes, improve, and enforce laws and regulations, and decrease the availability or access to alcohol and other harmful drugs. An example is changing the well-meaning but dangerous parental belief that “they are going to drink, so it may as well be at my house where I can supervise”.
ACYAC is guided by adult leaders representing the Alamance County Public Health Department, Burlington Housing Authority, Alamance-Caswell Local Management Entity and The Community Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking.
ACYAC members have a passion to make a difference in their families, schools and communities through their commitment to be substance free and role models for their peers and younger siblings. These trained and motivated youth are learning the unique qualities to become strong leaders as they grow and move out into our workforce and society. Interested high school students are welcomed to visit ACYAC meetings and become council members.
TAKE A LOOK
Life Out Loud Host Dorian Varney interviews Alamance County Youth Advisory Council Member Kyra Barnes. Produced by Teen 2 Teen Video; a youth organization operated by the City of Burlington NC Recreations and Parks Dept.
