City expands program to educate youth on cannabis use prevention

Sacramento City Council last week approved a nearly $1.4 million grant to continue the City's #SacYouthWorks: Futures cannabis prevention and education program for teens.

#Futures incorporates underage cannabis use prevention education into the #SacYouthWorks framework that was initially piloted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since July 2020, the City's #SacYouthWorks and #Futures programs have provided almost 3,000 youth with paid opportunities to gain practical skills, serve their community, explore career goals, and learn about marijuana prevention. Now with continued funding, #Futures will be able to serve an additional 900 youth.

The program is funded through the Board of State and Community Corrections Proposition 64 Public Health & Safety Program resulting from the passage of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act in 2016, which legalized the recreational use of cannabis for individuals 21 years of age and older.

"We're thrilled to receive this funding from the State of California and continue our partnership with PRO Youth and Families and our local youth-serving organizations," said Youth Development Program Manager Rene Kausin. "This funding will allow us to expand the program framework and support more youth in Sacramento."

Youth ages 12-19 will learn about the harmful effects of underage cannabis use and complete service projects to inform their peers about the negative impact of cannabis on mental health and overall well-being. Students receive a $500 stipend upon completing the program.

The #Futures program includes a minimum of 10 hours of underage marijuana use prevention education, up to 10 hours of work readiness training, and a minimum of 20 hours of applied service/work experience including projects that address underage marijuana use prevention such as social media marketing campaigns.

The service projects may include, but are not limited to, peer-to-peer support, advocacy, or public awareness campaigns. This past spring, youth from iSound Performing Arts wrote, performed and produced a music video titled "Weed Is Not Yo Friend" under the close mentorship of adults from iSound Performing Arts.

PRO Youth & Families and the City work collaboratively to coordinate and lead a network of community-based organizations (CBOs) that guide youth through the curriculum. Previous CBO partners have included Hooked on Fishing Not on Violence, Race and Gender Equity Project, and Hmong Youth and Parents United.

#Futures builds on the strengths of the City's youth-serving CBOs by connecting and responding to the needs of youth most impacted by systemic and structural challenges and barriers. The program creates a network of CBOs that guides small cohorts of youth and builds capacity of community-wide prevention efforts. The youth provider network will also engage in required network gatherings and trainings to support citywide prevention strategies.

Recruitment for the next CBO cohort will take place this fall through a competitive Request for Proposal process.

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