March 2026 Newsletter

March 2026

Announcements

By Students, For Students: Youth Ambassadors Co-Lead Prevention Assemblies at ACHS

Last month, SAPCA partnered with Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) the Alexandria Youth Ambassadors, the City's Opioid Work Group, and the Drug Enforcement Administration to deliver a series of engaging substance use prevention assemblies to over 1,200 Alexandria City High School (ACHS) freshmen. These assemblies were rooted in a strong youth-adult partnership, with the Youth Ambassadors playing a central role in planning and co-hosting these events.

During these assemblies, Youth Ambassadors Mya Medrano, Lela Gormley and Madeline Barrientos helped facilitate honest, youth-driven conversations by encouraging their peers to reflect on some of the reasons young people may turn to substances, how stress and peer pressure can influence decision-making, and strategies for coping with stress in healthy ways. These student leaders' dedication and hard work helped ensure that prevention messages were delivered in a way that was relatable and meaningful -- centered on youth voice and designed by students, for students.

During these assemblies, students also heard from guest speakers who shared personal stories about how addiction has affected their lives -- illustrating the many pathways to substance use, the ripple effects on individuals and families, and the importance of reaching out for help. Together, these conversations reinforced the impacts of substance use, highlighted that recovery is possible, and emphasized the value of connecting with school and community resources.

We look forward to continuing to collaborate with school and community partners to empower Alexandria’s young people to make healthy, informed choices.

The Youth Ambassadors are a group of high school students who prioritize violence prevention and conflict resolution among Alexandria youth. Contact Jasmine Coombs to learn more.

Youth Ambassadors Host Free Teen Movie Night

On February 13, nearly 100 high school students attended a Valentine's Movie Night hosted by the Youth Ambassadors. During this free event, students watched Zootopia 2 and participated in an activity to recognize red and green relationship flags. The Youth Ambassadors were also joined by staff and volunteers from the City's Sexual Assault Center and Domestic Violence Program, who shared information about healthy relationships and community resources. The Youth Ambassadors received overwhelmingly positive feedback about this event and hope to host similar events in the future.

Five Things You Should Know: Helping Youth Build Strength

Each month, SAPCA shares tips to help parents, caregivers, and other caring adults support youth and help prevent substance use. This month, we are highlighting five simple ways you can celebrate the strengths of youth in your life.

Focus on the Good

Youth sometimes hear more criticism than praise. Look for what they do well and help them see and celebrate their own strengths.

Give Praise

Let youth know you appreciate who they are, not just what they accomplish. Focus on their character, values, and positive qualities.

Recognize Successes Without Ignoring Problems

Supporting youth does not mean ignoring mistakes. You can address problem behaviors while still helping youth learn and grow from their experiences.

Celebrate their Efforts

Show youth that you appreciate their efforts. Celebrating working hard on a project or staying positive about a tough situation can encourage youth to continue their efforts and work towards their goals.

Model Positive Self-Talk

Youth learn from watching adults. Try to speak kindly about yourself and others and show healthy ways to handle stress.

Explore more resources to support youth in your life to make healthy choices at alexandriava.gov/SAPCA.

Medication Disposal Recap

At the beginning of 2026, SAPCA encouraged residents to clean out their home medicine cabinets to support our community's efforts to safely dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Thanks to our community, the City safely disposed of 133 lbs. of medication collected from Alexandria's permanent medication drop boxes.

Looking for other opportunities to dispose of unused, expired, and unneeded medications? Stay tuned for information about the City's next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

You can also dispose of medication year-round, including pet prescriptions, at Alexandria's three permanent medication drop boxes.

Visit alexandriava.gov/opioids to learn more about the importance of safe medication disposal and share this information with others. You could save a life.

Volunteer Opportunities Spotlight: SAPCA Committees

Want to make a difference in your community? SAPCA is looking for youth and adults to join one or more of our SAPCA committees.

Join the Fundraising Committee to help set fundraising goals and brainstorm fundraising strategies.
Join the Policy and Advocacy Committee to learn how policies are made, share ideas, monitor Virginia legislation, and build advocacy skills.
Join the Video Development and Production Committee to choose topics for new videos and help film, edit, and produce video

Interested in learning more? Complete our volunteer interest form or contact Emma Beall at emma.beall@alexandriava.gov.

Free Webinar: The State of Developmental Relationships

How do we leverage Developmental Relationships to support each and every young person? By understanding what they need.

Register now for the Search Institute's State of Developmental Relationships, a free virtual webinar on March 25 at 2 p.m.

Drawing from insights gathered from thousands of young people about the relationships and experiences that shape their world, this webinar will discuss emergent trends impacting youth development and wellbeing, including:

How developmental relationships are related to youth thriving;
How relationships strengthen school and program climate; and
Which developmental actions adults are already taking -- and where young people still experience gaps.

Click here to register for this free webinar.

The Search Institute's mission is to conduct and apply research that promotes positive youth development and advances equity. Learn more here.

Help Spread the Word: Virginia's Young Adult Survey

Virginia young adults ages 18-25 are invited to take the Virginia Young Adult Survey (YAS), a short, anonymous survey designed to better understand young adults’ needs and priorities. Input shared through the survey will help improve health and wellness programming for young adults across Virginia.

The survey takes only 10–15 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous
Some participants may be eligible to receive a small incentive, depending on availability. Participation is voluntary regardless of incentive availability.
Text VIRGINIA to 844-484-7601 to get the survey link!

Your phone number is used only to send the link, is not connected to your responses, will not be used for marketing or any other purpose, and will be deleted from the system after the survey closes. If you don’t have access to a phone or prefer not to text, email YAS@omni.org to receive the survey link another way.

This statewide survey was developed in partnership with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and Omni Institute, a nonprofit organization working with coalitions across Virginia.

If you have any questions, please contact noraine.buttar@alexandriava.gov.

Quick Links

Learn more about SAPCA

Subscribe to SAPCA's e-mail list

Make a tax-deductible donation to support local prevention efforts

Upcoming Events & Resources

Mark Your Calendar: Teen Takeovers at Beatley Central Library

Each Monday in March, teens ages 12-18 are invited to come to Beatley Central Library (5005 Duke St.) from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. for a Teen Takeover.

Do homework, play games, destress with coloring sheets, and just hang out in an area set aside for teens only! Visit alexlibraryva.org/events to learn more about these Teen Takeovers and other upcoming programs hosted by the Alexandria Library.

Kitchen of Purpose Hosts Intro to Chef Life Workshop

Do you love to cook or want to sharpen your culinary skills? Our community is cooking up another great opportunity for you! Join Kitchen of Purpose for an immersive Intro to Chef Life workshop on March 14 from 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This hands‑on experience is open to students ages 14–18 and includes:

Knife skills
Cooking techniques
Kitchen safety
Career exploration in the culinary arts
A delicious meal you’ll help prepare
Free transportation
Chef Life Certificate upon completion

Come spend the day learning from culinary professionals and building skills you can use for life. Contact Luke Daniele at luke.daniele@alexandriava.gov to learn more.

Save The Date for Spring Break Volunteering

Youth Engaged in Service (YES) is returning this spring with opportunities for youth to serve the community! Through YES, students from across Alexandria will come together in service, engaging in projects like playing games with seniors, removing invasive plants along the river, and preparing meals for shelters. Youth can earn service hours while learning about the issues that affect our communities and how to leave a positive impact.

Check out the free program schedule below and visit VolunteerAlexandria.org/YES to learn more:

March 31, from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Community building at St. Martin de Porres Senior Center and Community Lodgings
April 1, from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Environment Day, Gardening at Meade Memorial, and Invasive Plant Removal at Four Mile Run
April 2, from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Combatting Food Insecurity at ALIVE! and Carpenter's Shelter
April 25, from 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Earth Day Half Day, Macroinvertebrate Monitoring at Taylor Run

Learn about other volunteer opportunities for youth of all ages at volunteeralexandria.org.

Virginia School Boards Association Hosts Student Essay & Speaking Contest

The Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) is hosting its annual personal essay and speaking contest. This is a wonderful opportunity for students in grades 9-12 to showcase their writing and public speaking skills and to share their unique perspectives with education leaders from across the Commonwealth.

This year’s contest theme is Rooted in Public Education. Complete this application by May 4, 2026 at 4 p.m. to enter the contest. Be sure to follow all guidelines -- entries that do not meet requirements will be disqualified.

The first-place winner will receive a $1,000 award and present their essay before an audience of more than 200 school board members and administrators at the 2026 VSBA Conference on July 16 at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel. The winning essay will also be featured on the VSBA website and in the VSBA Newsletter. (Note: The first-place winner must attend the conference to be recognized and deliver their speech.)

View full contest guidelines here.

Call for Submissions: Public Humanities for Students

Public Humanities, a new open-access and peer-reviewed journal from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, is seeking submissions for the upcoming issue Public Humanities for Students. This issue invites humanities scholars to write articles for 14-18 year olds focused on the big ideas young people need to navigate today’s world.

The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2026 and articles must be 1,500 words or fewer.

Learn more about submission guidelines here.