noys.org Youth Turning Adversity Into Action

What is YOUTH-Turn? YOUTH-Turn is an online tool available through National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It is a resource totally focused on helping teens and community members turn adversity into educational and constructive opportunities that may prevent similar tragedies from happening to someone else.

Adversity into Action How can youth turn adversity into action? –Create activities and programs that are: Educational: spread the awareness about the cause and provide solutions on how to prevent the tragedy from happening again. Sustainable: create activities that are lasting and can be implemented again and again. Memorable: Be creative and make activities unique. Engaging: create activities that invite peers and community members to participate.

Creating Change As you plan events/activities, focus on bringing the community together, and allow each person to contribute in a special way. YOUTH-Turn provides these resources to help teens create change: –Developing an Action Plan –Project Ideas –Connecting with Others –Promoting Your Project

Taking Action YOUTH-Turn Activities School Assembly/Town Hall Meeting Remembrance Tree Website/FaceBook Page Candlelight Vigil Deliver a Speech Awareness Materials/Accessories Pledge Campaign

YOUTH-Turn Toolkit –Developing a Team –Tips for Teens Working with Adults –Tips for Adults Working with Teens –Planning Activities –Press Releases –Earned Media –Letter to the Editor –Project Planning Guide –Presentation Guide –Media Worksheet –Media Action Plan –Media Advisory YOUTH-Turn provides many online and printable resources, including:

Coping With Tragedies When a terrible event happens in a community, people are devastated, angry, hurt, shocked, and confused. And, they want to know why it had to happen, how they should feel, and what they should do. YOUTH-Turn provides these resources to help with the coping process: –Understanding Emotions –How You Can Help Yourself and Support Others –Tips for Tributes, Memorials, and Anniversaries of Tragedies –Where to Turn for Help –Working with the Media

YOUTH-Turn Featured Stories YOUTH-Turn also shares many featured stories of teens and/or their families who took an adversity in their community and turned it into educational action. You can check out the stories and even submit one of your own!

YOUTH-Turn Information Categories YOUTH-Turn provides statistics, resources, and project ideas related to these categories: –Seat Belt Use –Underage Drinking –Passenger Restrictions –Nighttime Driving Restrictions

YOUTH-Turn It Around Award National Organizations for Youth Safety and Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation have teamed up with National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to create a contest for youth to take a turn adversity into action. Youth can create an educational and sustainable project to help prevent the tragedy from happening again by: –Utilizing YOUTH-Turn resources –Sending project proposal to YOUTH-Turn –Implementing project in May 2011 for National Youth Traffic Safety Month

YOUTH-Turn Be prepared to take action to turn adversity into education. Help those who are grieving. Prevent the tragedy from happening again. YOUTH-Turn: Helping Teens Turn Adversity into Action

Support YOUTH-Turn YOUTH-Turn is seeking sponsors/underwriters for the following categories: –Suicide Prevention –Violence Prevention –Substance Abuse Prevention

NOYS is a national nonprofit coalition that focuses on youth health and safety. NOYS Coalition includes over 60 youth-led or youth-serving national nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and business and industry leaders National organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS)