Youth Engagement
youth ENGAGEMENT programs
youth ENGAGEMENT programs![]()
youth ENGAGEMENT programs
Our substance use prevention youth engagement programs provide young people with opportunities to experience first-hand the role of envisioning and creating schools and communities free from substance use related harms.
We actively center young people and youth voice in our work and partner with young people in a way that sustains intergenerational equity.
Our youth engagement programs include:
We actively center young people and youth voice in our work and partner with young people in a way that sustains intergenerational equity.
Our youth engagement programs include:
- Countywide CourAGE Youth Health Coalition (CourAGE)
- Friday Night Live Chapters (FNL)
- Peer Educator Program (Peer Ed)
- Peer Intervention & Education Program (PIE)
CourAGE
The CourAGE Youth Health Coalition
We established our countywide Friday Night Live (FNL) chapter in 2013 to ensure student leadership at the countywide level.
- CourAGE is youth-directed and plays a leadership role in addressing tobacco and other substance-use related issues.
- Members are in grades 8-12 and represent schools across Contra Costa county.
- Past projects include countywide contests, conference workshops, and community-level advocacy.
2025 CourAGE Media Contest Winners - View All Winning Entries
1st Place Winner in Art: Eva from Windemere Ranch MS
2024 CourAGE Media Contest Winners - View All Winning Entries
1st Place Winner for High School in Art: Somin from Monte Vista HS
FNL
Empowering Youth, Strenghthening Communities, Creating ChangeFriday Night Live (FNL) builds partnerships for positive and healthy youth development which engage youth as active leaders and resources in their communities.
FNL Pillars
- Positive Youth Development
- Youth and Adult Partnerships
- Advocacy
- Community Engagement and Collaboration
- Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Prevention
- Youth-Driven Campaigns
- Skill Building
Core Components
- Chapters: A group of committed young people and adult ally working together to provide skill development, opportunities, and outreach.
- Opportunities: Any safe environment or avenue in which youth and adults accomplish a project or task in partnership, with shared power and ownership.
- Outreach: Engages youth, adults, and systems in building the partnerships that create positive and healthy youth development.
- Skill Development: Purposeful activities and opportunities that promote or result in building skills, mastery, resiliency, and core competencies.
Youth Development Standards of Practice
- A Safe Environment
- Opportunities for Community Engagement
- Opportunities for Leadership and Advocacy
- Opportunities to Build Caring and Meaningful Relationships with Peers and Adults
- Opportunities to Engage in Interesting and Relevant Skill Building Activities
Follow Our FNL Chapters On Instagam
- CourAGE @couragecyhc
- Alhambra HS @ahs_tupe_fnl
- Clayton Valley Charter @cvchs.fnl
- Concord HS @concordbearstupe_fnl
Peer Ed
Peer Educators
Peer educators plan and implement peer-led prevention and awareness activities focused on tobacco, vaping, cannabis/marijuana, and healthy decision-making.
Examples of student-led activities may include:
- Classroom presentations
- Lunchtime awareness events
- Prevention campaigns
- Poster, video, or social media contests
- Schoolwide awareness activities
PIE
Peer Intervention & Education (PIE)
A peer-to-peer intervention program that equips trained student advocates to support fellow students and connect them with appropriate resources.
The Peer Intervention & Education (PIE) program is a student-led, peer-to-peer intervention model that equips trained student advocates to support fellow students and connect them with appropriate resources related to tobacco, vaping, cannabis, alcohol, and other substance use concerns.
PIE was developed in 2021 through a partnership between the Contra Costa County Office of Education and the Peers teacher and student leaders at Antioch High School. Together, they designed a program that leverages the power of peer relationships to encourage help-seeking, reduce stigma, and increase access to support services.
Once trained, students help raise awareness about substance use prevention, provide one-on-one peer support, and connect students to trusted adults and available resources when needed.
Today, PIE is implemented at Antioch High School and El Cerrito High School, with plans for continued expansion.
The program focuses on early intervention, youth leadership, and creating a school culture where students feel supported, connected, and empowered to seek help for themselves or their peers.
