Nicole Schnee is the RSAPP AmeriCorps member serving in La Plata County, and she wears a lot of hats. She is based at San Juan Basin Health Department and spends much of her time working with the Celebrating Community Norms (CCN) project, one of the Lasso Tobacco Coalition's big projects. The CCN project aims to increase assets in La Plata County youth, which is proven to decrease substance use and abuse and other risky behaviors. Nicole organizes coalition meetings, develops prevention policy, contributes to a media campaign and generally keeps the project on task.

       In a classic La Plata County collaboration, Nicole also serves at Fort Lewis College, with Student Wellness Initiatives. They are working towards a tobacco-free campus, and Nicole is involved in education and awareness events. She works on tobacco issues with a Public Health Class, and also meets weekly with the Uniting Students through Wellness Club.

       Nicole graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2009, and as a biology major she is surprised to find herself creating posters! She brings her "nerdy science skills' to the RSAPP team - if you need some research, Nicole is on it. When she's not working to create positive change, you'll probably find Nicole out skiing or biking. In her spare time (what spare time?) Nicole coaches kids in the Devo mountain biking program. Nicole is a Colorado native who grew up in an awesome, large Irish-Catholic family in Colorado Springs. Rumor has it she makes a mean corned beef and cabbage.

       What keeps her going in this complicated position? "I love being a part of the prevention community in Durango, and seeing how many people care."

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YLC "Investigators" Present to the Southwest Memorial Hospital Board

 

       Youth Leadership Council is a group of 8 Seniors, Juniors, and Freshmen from Cortez and Dolores High Schools who want to change things. The YLC group meets every week with RSAPP AmeriCorps member Cindy Houston, and their biggest current project is an investigation into Big Tobacco's marketing strategies. They have uncovered tobacco industry tactics that target youth aged 9-14.       

      Youth Leadership Council research has shown that the success of the Clean Indoor Air Act has forced the tobacco industry to get creative in developing smokeless tobacco products.  Since 8 out of 10 smokers say they started before the age of 14, products are designed to appeal to youth and promote early-onset nicotine addiction. Examples include Pina Colada flavored nicotine strips, strawberry flavored spitless tobacco, and Orbs, a product that looks like Tic Tack candy, but each "candy" contains 3 times as much nicotine as a regular cigarette.

      YLC investigators have found some staggering facts about tobacco-related spending, and put them in perspective with a local twist: "The tobacco industry spends $170 million per year on advertising in Colorado - more money than it would cost to send every Montezuma County high school student to college for four years."  And "Colorado spends $1.3 billion per year on health care costs related to smoking - enough to buy every person in Cortez (including children) a modest three bedroom house."

      The team of investigators from Youth Leadership Council is getting busy, fighting Big Tobacco's hold on the City of Cortez. Working with local media and design professionals, they have developed a media campaign encouraging youth to [think for yourself] instead of letting Big Tobacco fill your head. They have developed innovative, interactive presentations to present their findings to stakeholder groups and encourage community members to get involved. A board member recently commented that the YLC tobacco presentation was "the most exciting presentation we had." YLC is working to change local policy around licensing those who sell nicotine products. YLC is getting their community to listen to youth!

      For more information about Youth Leadership council, contact Cindy Houston.

Two RSAPP AmeriCorps members, Jeni Tadra and Kristy Chadd, were amongst the 2011 graduating class of the Montelores Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI.) This 20 week-program is designed to build community leaders.

The curriculum integrates personal and child development, leadership

training, civic literacy and civic participation skills. Each participant spearheads a community project: Jeni has been working to update the inventory of the Dolores Middle School & High School Libraries, and Kristy has been working to create summer programs for Dove Creek's youth. Congratulations, Jeni, Kristy and all the FLTI graduates!

         For more information about this program, visit FLTI's website.

 

Thanks,  

Cathy Cowles

RSAPP Program Coordinator

cathy@rsapp.org