PROGRAMS SEEK POSITIVE DECISIONS

Kathy Bystrom, youth development coordinator for ISD 831, said schools and
community organizations work to help youth make positive decisions.

"With the presence of Tri-County Youth and Family Partnership, the active
school based Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) teams and
commitment of our school district's Safe and Drug Free Schools Program. We
are as active and engaged in making this a great place to grow up in as
any," she said.

She said the Tri-County Youth and Family Partnership is a model program
that other communities work to duplicate.

"Communities often have trouble getting buy-in from stakeholders but that
doesn't seem to be the case here. We have a lot of people who care about
kids and want to keep them safe and healthy," she said.

Other programs

Other prevention programs in the community include the mentoring program
offered through Fairview Health Services, the Safe/Sober prom program,
police liaisons in the junior and senior high schools, peer mentoring, SAAD
(Students Against Destructive Decisions) chapters at junior and senior high
schools, the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention program, Red Ribbon chemical
health week and a variety of retreats, lyceums and special events.

Prevention curriculum in ISD 831 includes Lions Quest Skill for Growing for
students in kindergarten through fifth grade, Project Northland-Slick Tracy
alcohol use prevention program for sixth graders.

Seventh grade students can benefit from tobacco and alcohol prevention
programs.

All elementary school students have counselors classroom visits. Senior
high students also have the Class Action program.

The DARE (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) program is offered to sixth
grade students in Wyoming, Scandia and Lino Lakes.

A modified DARE program is offered at Forest View, Forest Lake, Linwood and
Columbus elementary schools.

Bystrom is a coordinator of the SAAD chapter at Century Junior High School.

"I am a great proponent of youth led prevention and am so glad the school
district supports the efforts of the SADD teams at both junior highs and
the high school," Bystrom said. "I firmly believe messages to stay healthy
and drug-free need to come from peers and that speaks to the ongoing
success of the SADD Teams."

The SADD philosophy is that given the correct information, youth will make
good decisions.

Bystrom said research indicates prevention programs work and youth are much
more likely to listen to peers than adults. "Give kids the resources and
information they need, provide them guidance and let them go," she said.

Other activities

Extracurricular activities can make the difference on whether or not a
youth lives a chemical-free life. Budget restraints, however, make it
difficult to offer such a program.

"The school district provides many wonderful after school activities to
keep kids busy-sports, clubs, leadership programs-but budgets are being cut
and these valuable programs are often the first to go," Bystrom said.

Aside from typical sports and clubs, the district does offer other
alternatives, Bystrom said.

"Community Education continues to offer elementary and junior high youth
nights on a monthly basis as well as a number of after school and
non-school day activities, Bystrom said. "The Teen Center is one Community
Education program that provides an alternative for those kids who are not
choosing the programs the schools offer.

"But with the resources we have, we can only do so much. That is why it is
important to pass levies-we can sustain these programs and increase
opportunities for kids outside of the academic day."

Community help

Community members can help make the Forest Lake area a better environment
for youth.

"Support the efforts of those who are working tirelessly to ensure kids
grow up safe and healthy and reach their maximum potential-teachers,
coaches, youth organizations, schools," Bystrom said.

"Celebrate the wonderful things that are happening for kids here and don't
get mired down in the negative. Get involved. Vote for levies or be willing
to pay for programs without whining. There is no such thing as a free
lunch. Volunteer to help with after school programs or mentoring programs.

"Make a donation to those programs that are struggling to make ends meet if
you have the resources to do so. Let those of us who are invested in this
community know what we can do to make it even better."

But the best person to help kids stay off drugs are the parents.

"Parents are key in keeping their kids away from drugs," Bystrom said.
"Parents need to pay attention to what their kids are doing 24/7."

While kids may balk at the idea of parental involvement most crave it and
feel more secure as a result of it," Bystrom said.

And parents need to educate themselves about what is out there and make
good decisions themselves.

"The majority of our parents are doing a great job and the majority of our
kids are on the right track. We just can't be ignorant to the fact that
this can become a problem for any family," she said.