Maple Grove Teens Work with Drug-Free Group to Bring Change

student Lexi Hughes wants to make a big change in the community. Thanks to an all-expense paid trip to a southern California conference earlier this summer, her goals of putting an end to teenage drug and alcohol use are easier to reach.

Hughes is a member of Action for Reaction, a teen group that is part of Partnership for Change—a conglomeration of local parents, students and law enforcement who aim to reduce teen drug use in northwest Hennepin County. And when Hughes was offered the chance to apply for a seat at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference last July, she jumped at the opportunity.

“I love learning,” Hughes said. “There is always a road you haven’t tried to take, or an option you haven’t chosen.”

The four-day conference held in Anaheim, Calif. gave Hughes, student Danielle Henke, and two students, Taylor LaFave and Haylee Schumacher, the tools they needed to construct a plan that will curb teen marijuana use in Osseo Area Schools.

“We were asked to specify the common issue in our community, and we were asked to think about why we chose that issue,” Hughes said, citing “not enough law enforcement" and that "parents did not care about [marijuana] usage" as examples.

From there, the young students devised a plan for change and presented their strategy to the 300 other teens at the conference. By using a leadership process called the Strategic Prevention Framework, the teens worked on assessing their community, diagnosing the problems in their community, and planning interventions to promote positive change. 

“The whole purpose of the coalition is for youth to be empowered to make change they want to see in the community,” said Teresa Lunt, Partnership for Change parent member and community chair. “The conference revolves around walking these kids through the leadership characteristics and skills they need. These four Maple Grove girls were willing to do the hard work that needs to be done in their communities.”

While the conference allowed Partnership for Change and Action for Reaction to gain new focus for the coming year, the local group has already made a big impact.

For a chapter that is only two and a half years old, the teen members have completed prom campaigns to encourage drug free events, designed school planner covers reminding their peers of 101 things to do other than drink, and worked with the cities of Brooklyn Park and Osseo to pass a social host ordinance making it illegal to provide a place for youth to drink. All of the group's initiatives follow their "we choose not to use" motto.

“I joined [Action for Reaction] to make a better future for my generation in a world of judgment and raging addiction,” Hughes said. “At the conference, I learned ways to effectively make change in my community. But most importantly, I got to see all the amazing youth and adult supervisors trying to do the same thing myself and my coalition are reaching for.”