December 3 Deadline—

Youth-Designed Prevention Grants Available

The Housatonic Valley Coalition Against Substance Abuse (HVCASA) has announced a funding opportunity for youth-designed prevention projects. Newtown students can contact the Newtown Prevention Council for a grant application.

This funding is made available through a grant from the Savings Bank of Danbury to the Regional Teen Prevention Council Youth United program.

Approximately $2,500 is available to young people for programs designed to help local prevention councils, parent teacher organizations, local law enforcement, and schools with prevention projects. Youth United is already funding a project at ACE School in Danbury wherein students are researching substance abuse topics and making presentations to the Danbury middle schools.

In addition, HVCASA is trying to provide teen smoking cessation at Danbury Hospital or the Regional YMCAs. Presently there are no formal cessation programs for teens outside of the high schools in this area.

Any teen or teen group interested in being considered for this program is asked to contact Beth Agen at the Newtown Prevention Council before December 3.

Founded in 1986, the Newtown Prevention Council (formerly the Newtown Substance Abuse Task Force) has worked on many drug prevention issues. The mission of the Prevention Council is to build a coalition of community members working toward a safe and substance-free town.

To find out more about the Newtown Prevention Council, call 270-4335 or visit www.newtownprevention.org.