Youth to Youth Summer Training Conference
July 10-13, 2024
Ohio Wesleyan University
An opportunity for an unrivaled youth-led training experience awaits.
This conference will be exciting, idea packed and full of creative new ways for youth and adults to work together in their communities. Based on the four components of effective prevention: Information, Personal Growth, Environmental Change and Drug-Free Alternatives, this unique training opportunity will allow youth to take the lead. Participants leave with new skills and a deeper personal commitment to their positive decision-making and ability to create change within their own schools and communities. Many youth-led programs began at a Youth to Youth conference and use it as a starting point or “battery charger” for the upcoming year.
Steps to Attend:
1. Complete a Group Application
To ensure the best experience, we are requiring that participants attend with a group. Each group must have at least one attending adult that is familiar with all the youth in your group. This adult advisor must attend the entirety of the conference: July 10 - 13, 2024.
This application does not guarantee or hold your spots at conference. All participants must still complete the Participant Registration Form and payment must be received prior to conference. Within 1 business day of completing this form, your group's name and point of contact will then be added to the registration form for participants to select.
After you have submitted this form, you will be sent a fillable pdf form for you to enter your group's information and share with attendees to help them register.
2. Complete Participant Registration Form
After the group’s contact has completed the Group Application and confirmed the group’s name and contact have been added to the Registration Form (will appear in the dropdown fields within 1 business day of completing the Group Application), share the registration link with the attending adult(s) and the parents of youth participants. Youth Participant forms must be completed by a parent or legal guardian. Each time a participant registers, the group’s point of contact will receive an email notification.
Youth Participants must be going into 9-12th grade in the 2024-2025 school year.
3. Payment
The conference participant rate is $650. This fee includes programming, food, overnight accommodations, and a 2024 conference t-shirt. At the end of the registration form, you may choose to pay now or pay later.
The Pay Now option will allow payment to be made while completing the registration form via credit card, Apply Pay, Google Pay or Cash App.
The Pay Later option will provide the registrant with a field to enter billing information and an invoice will be sent for the conference fee.
The conference participant fee must be paid in full prior to the conference in order to attend.
Youth to Youth conferences address issues that are relevant to teens.
This conference is designed for youth and their supporting adults to participate together in all aspects of the conference for a uniquely shared experience. Working side by side, they will have the opportunity to construct and/or revitalize a plan of action to implement back home. Adults will also have opportunities to network with other like-minded adults and to learn effective strategies to guide their teens to success.
Evaluations conducted by The Ohio State University show that youth attending the Youth to Youth Conference experience positive changes in their self-perceptions; specifically, in key areas such as knowledge about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, self-efficacy and leadership. These outcomes are met through uplifting small discussion groups, workshops conducted by youth and experts in the field, creative teambuilding, dynamic speakers, and of course, FUN.
Youth to Youth conferences are designed for drug-free community coalitions, school clubs, youth serving organizations, peer educators, faith-based groups, character and asset builders and any and every type of young person!
The Y2Y Conference Experience
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Development
Development is a continuous and never-ending process, where one will experience growth and become empowered to advance. Youth to Youth continually provides young people from all over the world a chance to make positive change in themselves, their schools, communities and beyond. Y2Y is a youth development program with an emphasis on tobacco, alcohol and other drug prevention. The development of youth is the prevention, and our conferences are the model for youth-led prevention in action. Development also means "to start to exist". Many youth-led programs began at a Youth to Youth conference and use them as a starting point or battery charger for the upcoming year.
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Empowerment
An opportunity for an unrivaled youth-led training experience awaits. Y2Y conferences address issues that are relevant to teens such as underage drinking, prescription drug misuse, opiates, marijuana, tobacco use, distracted driving, healthy relationships, stress and anxiety, suicide, body image, media influences, bullying, gender roles, mindfulness and more.
Youth to Youth conferences are designed for youth and their supporting adults to participate together in all aspects of the conference for a uniquely shared experience. Working side by side, they will have the opportunity to construct and/or revitalize a plan of action to implement back home. Adults will also have special “Adult Forums” to network with other like-minded adults and to learn effective strategies to guide their teens to success.
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Impact
The original process of a Youth to Youth conference has proven year after year to meet all six of its’ key desired outcomes. Evaluations concluded by The Ohio State University show that youth attending the conferences experience positive changes in their self-perceptions; specifically, in key areas such as knowledge about ATOD, self-efficacy and leadership. But the ability to also revise content to be fresh and innovative is what brings people back year after year to Y2Y summer conferences.
These outcomes are met through uplifting small discussion groups, workshops conducted by youth and experts in the field, creative teambuilding, dynamic speakers, refreshing youth-created and delivered presentations, and of course FUN.
Conference Volunteer Opportunities
Adult Staff Volunteer
Adults that have graduated in or before 2022 (must be at least 20 years old)
Every year we offer the opportunity for adults to be a part of the Youth to Youth Conference volunteer staff. The staff role is one of the most critical and influential parts of a Youth to Youth Conference. Youth to Youth conferences are very active, participatory conferences. It is an excellent opportunity to receive training in many areas of youth leadership/drug prevention programming. We value the commitment of these adults who are willing to assist in helping teens make positive choices and we promise to make the conference a learning, rewarding and fun experience for adult staff.
Youth Staff Volunteer
Students graduating high school in 2024 - 2026
Every year we offer the opportunity for youth to be a part of the Youth to Youth Conference volunteer staff. The staff role is one of the most critical and influential parts of a Youth to Youth Conference. Youth to Youth conferences are very active, participatory conferences. It is an excellent opportunity to receive training in many areas of youth leadership/drug prevention programming. We value the commitment of these youth who are willing to assist in helping their peers make positive choices and we promise to make the conference a learning, rewarding and fun experience for youth staff. If selected, the youth staff registration fee is $325.00.
All Youth Staff Mandatory Training:
Virtual Training May 20th 4:00-6:00 pm
Additional trainings for Franklin County Youth Staff only:
In-person Training June 5th 12:00 - 6:00 pm
In-person Training June 22nd 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
A-Team Volunteers
Graduated High School in or before 2023
Every year we offer the opportunity for Y2Y alumni to be a part of the Youth to Youth administrative team. The A-Team volunteers play a critical role behind the scenes at conference. From event set up to tear down and everything in between the A-Team volunteers help to make conference a memorable experience for all attendees.
Workshop Presenters
Youth to Youth strives to provide teens and their adult advisors with up-to-date, accurate information on topics that will assist them in their peer prevention programming efforts. We are looking for youth and adults who are promoting a drug-free lifestyle and want to empower others.
We are asking that you present unique, creative ideas and provide skill-building opportunities for others at the conference. We encourage workshops to be interactive and not solely based on lecturing and question and answer. Conference participants prefer presentations which focus on “how to” information, which will assist them in accomplishing goals in their own schools and communities. Topic areas include but are not limited to: Bullying, Healthy Relationships, Stress and Anxiety, Dating Violence, Media Influences, Suicide, Distracted Driving, Depression, Youth Obesity, Underage Drinking, Tobacco, Hookah, E-Cigarettes, Marijuana, Prescription Drug Misuse, etc.
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Speakers
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Family Groups
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Fun Events
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Team Building
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Stage Presentations
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Workshops
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS - COMING SOON!
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DAY 1 SPEAKER
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DAY 2 SPEAKER
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DAY 3 SPEAKER
Our Partners
The ADAMH Board of Franklin County has been a long time valued partner of Youth to Youth. ADAMH provides funding for numerous Franklin County Youth to Youth programs including our local conferences and camps.