February 2023

Prioritizing Prevention: Alexandria Youth Leaders Join City and School Staff at National Leadership Forum

This month, nine Alexandria City High School (ACHS) youth leaders, three youth advisors, and five of SAPCA's partners joined SAPCA Coordinator Emma Beall at the 33rd Annual National Leadership Forum -- the largest training event for community-based substance use and misuse prevention leaders interested in making a positive impact in their community. Please join us in recognizing these prevention champions for coming together to learn about the latest strategies to fight substance use, misuse, and abuse and prioritizing collective action to best support youth and families in our community:

Youth Leaders

• Amel Mohdali, ACHS Senior
• Chloe Yokitis, ACHS Junior
• Hosai Rasuli, ACHS Junior
• Jamiya Gray, ACHS Junior
• Khalil Coates, ACHS Senior
• Lenhle Vilakati, ACHS Senior
• Nathan Desta, ACHS Senior 
• Teliyah Hillary, ACHS Sophomore
• Zahra Rahimi, ACHS Junior

City and School Staff



• Emma Beall, SAPCA Coordinator
• Emily Bentley, Opioid Work Group Coordinator
• Felicia Parks, Youth Engagement Specialist
• Fredy Martinez, SAPCA Board Member and Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Services Coordinator
• Kennon Ross, ACPS Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Services Coordinator
• Ruthy Mercado, ACPS Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Services Coordinator
• Sheila Purce, Youth Development Specialist and Project Discovery Coordinator
• Tashana Pulliam, Secondary Schools Program Coordinator
• Dr. Temi Aregbesola, Training and Prevention Specialist

Youth leaders and City and school staff attended sessions about equity in prevention, global health, enforcing underage drinking laws, public speaking, youth engagement best practices, and the dangers of fentanyl. As the landscape of substance use challenges continues to shift and evolve, the need for up-to-date evidence-based research, resources and strategies are paramount to making progress towards ensuring safe, healthy, and drug-free futures for our youth. As individuals and together as a community, we have the power to create positive, lasting change that can transform our communities and ensure safe, healthy, and drug-free futures for our youth.

SAPCA Launches For Our Future / Por Nuestro Futuro Messaging Campaign

At the end of January, SAPCA launched For Our Future / Por Nuestra Futuro, a messaging campaign created through collaboration with Alexandria Latino youth and parents; Latino- and youth-serving organizations; and City and school partners to prevent alcohol use among Latino youth in Alexandria. This campaign promotes the health benefits of living alcohol-free, alternatives to alcohol use, facts and risks about underage drinking, and the importance of supportive role models.

Help raise awareness about this campaign and some of the reasons youth in Alexandria do not drink alcohol. Please share these sample posts on social media in English in Spanish, or create your own, and tag three others to share them with their own networks.

SAPCA appreciates the support provided by these partners to help develop this campaign:

• Alexandria City Public Schools
• Casa Chirilagua
• Community Lodgings
• Department of Community and Human Services
• Liberty’s Promise
• Tenants and Workers United

Learn more about the campaign here.

Alexandria Youth Speak Up Event Highlights Ways to Address Stress and Anxiety

On January 19, over 20 youth, parents, employees, and volunteers attended "Alexandria Youth Speak Up: What to do when you are feeling stressed or anxious?" This event featured youth and caregiver panel discussions about how to deal with stress and breakout sessions where attendees brainstormed programs, events, or resources to support youth to feel less stressed. Hosted by SAPCA, the Children Youth and Families Collaborative Commission, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP), and the Gang Prevention Community Task Force, this is the second in a series of events focused on connecting young people to caring adults, programs, and activities to ensure they are physically safe and healthy, academically successful, career ready, and have positive experiences.

The inaugural Youth Speak Up event, held in December 2021, featured a panel of ACHS students highlighting what they need from adults to navigate life after the pandemic.

A big thanks to the youth, caregivers, community members, and partners that helped plan and host this event, including several SAPCA volunteers:

• Allen Lomax, SAPCA Board of Directors Chair
• Cieara Clark-Walker
• Kate Harbour, SAPCA Board of Directors Secretary and ACHS Senior
• Leonard Little

Stay tuned for a summary of key themes highlighted by youth and adult panelists to support community leaders to integrate information shared into current and future program offerings, policy efforts, and initiatives.

Volunteer Spotlight: Cieara Clark-Walker

Please join SAPCA in recognizing Ciera Clark-Walker, one of our newest volunteers. So far, Ciera has logged nearly 30 volunteer hours with SAPCA. Hear from Ciera about some of her favorite experiences volunteering:

Interested in making a difference in our community? Contact Emma Beall to learn about youth and adult volunteer opportunities (no previous experience required!)

SAPCA Delivers Facts and Consequences

Assemblies to Alexandria City High School Minnie Howard Campus Students

On January 6 and 13, SAPCA visited health classes at Alexandria City High School Minnie Howard Campus to deliver Facts and Consequences presentations to 1,000 students. This interactive presentation highlights the consequences of using alcohol, e-cigarettes, marijuana, and prescription and over-the-counter medication; ways to respond to peer pressure; and healthy ways to cope with stress.

SAPCA is appreciative of the opportunity to share important information with students in our community and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with ACHS in the future.

Interested in supporting SAPCA to deliver Facts and Consequences Presentations? 

Contact Emma Beall at [email protected]. No previous experience is required and all volunteers receive training before presentations take place.

Fentanyl: What You Need to Know

SAPCA reminds youth and adults of the serious dangers of fentanyl poisoning from counterfeit (fake) pills and other illicit drugs. Here is what you need to know about fentanyl:

• Fentanyl is a very strong synthetic opioid that is tasteless and odorless. 
• Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. 
• Street drugs can be laced with fentanyl without the user's knowledge. These may include unregulated marijuana, vaping e-liquids, fake pills purchased online, and cocaine. 
• It may only take a small amount of fentanyl, the equivalent to a few grains of salt, to cause an opioid overdose.
• If given in time, Narcan (also known as Naloxone) can save the life of someone who is experiencing an opioid overdose.

Help spread the word in our community:

• Looks are deceiving -- fake pills look real. 
• If medication has not been prescribed to you, it runs the risk of being laced.
• Only take medication prescribed by a doctor or purchased at a pharmacy.
• Narcan is available for free from the Alexandria Health Department and the Teen Wellness Center.

Learn more about fentanyl and help raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl by sharing these flyers for youth and adults, available in English, Spanish, Amharic, and Arabic.

Click here to view the scholarship registration form.

Alexandria Library Hosts Teen Winter Creativity Contest

Teen artists and writers in grades six through twelve are invited to enter Alexandria Library's Teen Winter Creativity Contest. Prizes of $100, $50 and $25 are awarded in each of six categories and entries can be about any topic.

Contest submissions are due by 11:59PM on February 15, 2023. Participants will be notified of the results by March 22, 2023. Learn more about the Winter Creativity Contest here.

Equal Justice Initiative Racial Justice Essay Contest Now Open

The Equal Justice Initiative in partnership with the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project is pleased to announce a scholarship contest open to 9th – 12th grade students attending public high school in Alexandria, VA where prizes totaling at least $5,000 will be awarded to winning participants.

Students are asked to examine the history of a topic of racial injustice and to discuss its legacy today. Essays should explain the chosen topic using a specific historical event(s), explore how the injustice persists, and imagine solutions for a future free from racial injustice. Students are encouraged to reflect on how the topic impacts their own lives and communities. The deadline to submit an essay is March 17, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Winners will be announced this spring

Click here to learn more about the contest and local resources available to assist students in entering this contest.

Registration Open for Animal Welfare League of Alexandria Summer Camps

Summer is coming and that means another year of paw-some summer camp! Join the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) for a series of week-long day camps for students ages 6 through 13. This year’s camp experience will include lessons on cats, dogs and small animals, as well as the operation of the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter, veterinary care, dog training and more! Campers will make crafts for use at home in addition to projects for the enrichment of shelter pets. Attendees will also meet special guests such as Animal Services Officers, Vet Techs, animal foster caregivers and more! The AWLA Summer Camp offers exciting, hands-on fun to young animal lovers, while providing a structured learning experience tailored to your child’s learning level. Space is limited, so sign up today to secure a spot in Alexandria's most entertaining animal camp of the summer. 

Alexandria Library and Washington Wizards Winter Reading Challenge Begins

The Alexandria Library has once again partnered with the Washington Wizards to sponsor the Winter Reading Challenge for early readers, kids, and teens. The challenge builds a positive reading culture and improves literacy for youth. Readers can earn prizes by completing activity challenges.

The reading challenge will run virtually on Beanstack, a reading application that makes it easy for participants to register, track their reading and earn virtual badges for completion. Readers who complete the challenge will be entered into a raffle to win a variety of prizes! The Wizards Winter Reading Challenge is free and open to all youth in the DMC area. The contest runs until March 31, and prizes will be distributed in April. Learn more here.

Save the Date: Spring 2023 Champions for Youth Summit

Join the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth and Prevention Connections for an exciting opportunity to be part of the Champions for Youth Summit in Falls Church, Virginia on April 24-26, 2023. This event will convene hundreds of prevention professionals from around the country who are committed to exploring best practices to impact youth and young adults on topics such as tobacco and nicotine use, substance use, and factors that impact childhood obesity. Join hundreds of champions throughout government, nonprofits, public health, and more to explore and learn evidence-based practices that empower youth to make healthy choices. Learn more and register here.