Thanks to a $2 million grant that has been awarded to West Virginia University Extension Service and Iowa State University, middle school youth and their families will soon have access to community and school-based programs focused on reducing and preventing drug and alcohol use and dropout rates.

The initiative, which is funded by the Children, Youth and Families at Risk program, teaches middle school youth the skills, attitudes and behaviors necessary for leading fulfilling and contributing lives.

A five-year study will take place in two counties in West Virginia and Iowa. The counties will be selected at a later date.

“Positive community involvement helps kids make better choices,” said Alicia Cassels, WVU Extension curriculum specialist. “If we can help educate the parents on ways to work with their children to prevent or address these issues then we’re on a path for success.”

Researchers say positive community involvement is achieved through using the evidence-based model, PROSPER. The model has proven to reduce marijuana use by 40 percent, the initiation of drinking by 20 percent and the likelihood of smoking by 23 percent.

The PROSPER model and CYFAR program take a collaborative approach, which helps community members best identify their needs and finds solutions to problems that affect local youth.

Cassels will serve as project director. Debra Sellers, associate dean and director of Human Services Extension and Outreach at ISU, will provide leadership for Iowa’s sub-award under the WVU grant.

The foundation for the project grew from a previous WVU Extension Service and ISU project that studied how to better influence change at a community level. The work originated with WVU Extension Service Families and Health Specialist Elaine Bowen.

Cassels, who is a specialist in the 4-H Youth Development program, said the researchers’ varied backgrounds help the youth by highlighting more areas that influence behavioral change.

Connecting the people of West Virginia to the University’s resources and programs is the primary goal of WVU Extension Service and its 55 offices throughout the state. Local experts, like WVU Extension’s agents and specialists, work to help improve the lifestyles and well being of youth, workforces, communities, farms and businesses through trusted research in the counties in which they serve.

To learn more about WVU Extension Service’s youth development programs, visit ext.wvu.edu, or contact a local county office of the WVU Extension Service.

-WVU-

cat 11/12/14

CONTACT: Cassie Thomas, WVU Extension Service
304.293.8735, Cassie.Thomas@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.