Gwinnett Youth Receive State Prevention Award

Positive change is happening right here in Gwinnett County, and the state recognizes that.

The Gwinnett United In Drug Education, Inc. (GUIDE) Youth Advisory Board (YAB) was recently named the 2014 winner of the Non-School Organization category at the Georgia Red Ribbon Week Awards Ceremony! The event took place on March 30 and was sponsored by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Red Ribbon Week is an annual campaign that raises awareness about the negative impact of drug use and abuse, encourages engagement in drug prevention activities and celebrates youth who live a healthy, drug-free life. You can learn more about the Red Ribbon Campaign here.

YAB members participated in Red Ribbon Week last year by creating and receiving a proclamation declaring Red Ribbon Week in Gwinnett County, encouraging students to sign a pledge to be drug-free and displaying posters and information about alcohol and drugs around their schools and at school events. We are so proud of each and every one of our YAB members and their efforts to make Gwinnett a safer, healthier place!

Congratulations to our 2014-2015 YAB:

Gaby Guzman-Simon, President

Charlene Marsh, Vice President

Patricia Granda-Malaver, Secretary

Abby Day

Cayce Reese

Christine Edih

Gordon Flagg, III

Haley Gray

Kendall Robinson

Laura Middleton

Ryan Kyle

Toju Pessu

As the 2014-2015 school year is coming to a close, we are excited to announce that GUIDE is accepting applications for our YAB for the 2015-2016 school year! Do you know any high school students in Gwinnett who consider themselves to be a leader? Do they like to volunteer? Are they looking for opportunities to get to know other teens in Gwinnett, make an impact in the community and build skills that will help them be successful in the future? Serving as a member of our YAB is an incredible opportunity to grow, have a voice and create positive change.

The YAB is comprised of high school students from across Gwinnett County. Ideal candidates are youth committed to making a difference in the community. Previous leadership experience is preferred, but all youth are welcome to apply. Applicants must have reliable transportation to and from all meetings and events and be able to communicate with GUIDE program staff via email or phone on a regular basis.

If you know any rising 9th-12th graders who would be interested in this opportunity, please refer them to http://bit.ly/YAB2015App to apply and learn more. Applications are due May 1, 2015. If you have any questions, please email Sarah Stokes at sarah@guideinc.org.

GUIDE, Inc. is a substance abuse prevention agency serving Gwinnett County since 1986. To find out more about us, please connect with us at guideinc.org.