Leaders from the Huron Valley Community Coalition have been recognized for being in an elite group to graduate from academy that helps to fight youth substance use.

Huron Valley Community Coalition Executive Director Randy Root and Project Coordinator Jordyn Najduk recently completed the Graduate Coalition Academy at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. The Academy helps coalition staff learn advanced methods for assessing local conditions regarding youth substance use. Attendees learn how to determine which strategies are most likely to achieve lower rates of use, along with how to track and monitor changes in order to accurately evaluate progress.

Root said in a release that no matter how much their staff knows about best prevention practices, they will only help kids make good decisions if everyone is in on the effort. He said that when we choose to define ourselves in a manner than says and shows that underage drinking, youth vaping, and marijuana use are not who we are as a community, then we’ll start to see a decrease in kids using. The Coalition was one of only 15 organizations nationwide to be accepted and graduate from the year-long program. Root said it was an honor to be selected for the program and the knowledge they acquired will go a long way in reducing teen drug and alcohol use. (MK)