Teen Advisory Council members for the 2013-2014 school year pictured outside of the Hawaii State Capitol during the Hawaii Meth Project annual training summit in June 2013. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Meth Project.
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– The Hawaii Meth Project announced today that applications for its Teen Advisory Council are now available for the 2014-2015 school year. All high school students entering grades 9 through 12 for the upcoming school year and attending public, private, and home schools statewide are encouraged to apply for one of 20 available positions on the council. Each member will serve for one term concurrent with the school year, from July 2014 to June 2015.
During their terms, Teen Advisory Council members will have the opportunity to lead and facilitate outreach in their schools and communities across the state. They will be charged with raising awareness about the importance of methamphetamine prevention, especially among Hawaii’s youth.
“Students are vital to our outreach efforts and we are so appreciative of their dedication to the Hawaii Meth Project’s mission to prevent meth use in Hawaii,” said David Earles, executive director of the Hawaii Meth Project. “Teen Advisory Council members provide us with direct connections to their peers and a crucial channel to communicate our message to teens statewide. By engaging in peer-to-peer outreach, these teens are able to practice their communication and professional skills while making a positive difference in their own communities.”
Building communication skills is key for current and future Teen Advisory Council members, as they will be asked to participate in monthly conference calls and contribute to group brainstorming sessions on how to most effectively relay to teens the Hawaii Meth Project’s key message of “Not Even Once”. Teen Advisory Council members will be expected to lead by example and perpetuate the importance of living a drug-free lifestyle.
“Serving on the Teen Advisory Council has been a rewarding and memorable experience for me this past year, and I would highly recommend this experience and opportunity to students who are ambitious and passionate about meth prevention and awareness,” said Kehaulani Likio, a senior at University Laboratory School. “I can honestly say that this opportunity has provided me with an avenue to better understand and communicate with my peers. My only regret is not getting involved earlier with the Hawaii Meth Project.”
Prospective members will be asked to dedicate between 10 to 20 hours of volunteer service work each month. Selected candidates must be available to attend a mandatory training session on Oahu from June 18 to 20 (travel expenses will be covered). Teens interested in applying to be a part of the 2014–2015 Teen Advisory Council must complete an official application, which can be found online at http://hawaiimethproject.org/About-Us/teen-council.php.
The completed application along with two letters of reference must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30 by email to Georgi@hawaiimethproject.org or faxed to (808) 356-8645. Applicants wishing to submit hard copies by mail must have their applications postmarked by April 30 and mailed to: Hawaii Meth Project, TAC Applications, P.O. Box 3073, Honolulu, HI 96802.
About the Hawaii Meth Project The Hawaii Meth Project is a nonprofit organization that implements large-scale, research-based campaigns and community action programs to reduce methamphetamine use in the state. Central to its integrated campaigns is MethProject.org—a definitive source for information about meth for teens. The Hawaii Meth Project is affiliated with The Partnership at Drugfree.org, a national nonprofit organization working to help families solve the problem of teen substance abuse. For more information, visit HawaiiMethProject.org.
