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The Hub
Goals:
1. To attempt to decrease Platte County drug use.
2. To encourage Platte County youth to help their community become healthier.
3. To create awareness of Platte County's rising high risk behaviors.
4. To create a safe, drug free environment for Platte County Youth.
5. To encourage Platte Youth to USE their Voice and become LEADERS.
What is Platte C.A.N.?
Platte C.A.N. (Change Attitudes Now) is a very different anti-drug program that has been started in Platte County, Wyoming. Drug and alcohol use is a huge concern in this county. A survey taken in 2006 shows that in Platte County, 76% of high school seniors had tried drugs and/or alcohol at some point in their life. Rather than focus all attention on the drug users, a program has begun to reward those who make positive choices.
The Platte C.A.N. has begun in our county as a result of a grant through the 21st century CCLC. This same program started in Cody, Wyoming, and has spread throughout the state. The program uses positive peer pressure and accountability to encourage students to remain drug and alcohol free. Dozens of local businesses have agreed to assist in the program by offering special discounts on products and services to C.A.N. members. Platte County students are no longer being asked to simply say "NO" to drugs, they are being encouraged to say "YES" to the C.A.N. HUB, social activities, and community discounts.
By the Students, For the Students
The structure of the C.A.N. program is unique. Platte C.A.N. exists through a 21st Century CCLC Grant and is managed by high school students. The majority of the board of directors and all of the officers are students who have signed up for C.A.N. Two persons working through Peak Wellness, the OWN IT! Director and Manager, work as sponsors, and serve as liasions between the C.A.N. Committee and the administration of the schools. There is also a board of professionals serving on the PC2 Board that oversees OWN IT! and C.A.N. These students (collectively known as the C.A.N. Committee) use the Grant monies to effectively run their group and its goals.
Although Platte C.A.N. is not officially affiliated with the school system in any way, the students essentially shape the program. Many of the students who manage C.A.N. are also active in other leadership programs such as student council, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and other various sports and activities. This program will grow and evolve based on the current needs and requests of the student body, and is therefore, dynamic enough to make a continuing impact on the choices made by the Platte County Youth.
Testing Out
To become a member of C.A.N., a student must sign a contract pledging to remain drug/alcohol free. The parents/guardians of the student must also sign the contract, which includes a medical release authorization and must be notarized. This medical release authorization only allows the C.A.N. Committee to request a member to take a drug test in the event that sufficient evidence warrants suspicion of drug/alcohol use. This is a rare happening, and the student in question can choose to relinquish C.A.N. membership rather than take the test.
When the committee needs to request a drug test, the parents are notified before the suspected student. This allows an opportunity for a parent/child discussion regarding drug/alcohol use. If a student agrees to take the test and the test proves positive for drugs, the information is given only to the parent and student involved -- never to the police or authorities. If the student refuses or fails the drug test, his or her membership is revoked for a minimum of six months, at which time the student has the option of petitioning reinstatement through the C.A.N. board.
Cool Card
Once the contract has been signed, the student recieves a C.A.N. photo identification card. The card allows the student to use the C.A.N-owned equipment, rooms, and incentives located througout Platte County. Local businesses offer discounts to students presenting a C.A.N. card, including clothing retailers, fast food chains, movie theaters, and other great services. A valid C.A.N. card can also be used for free admission to C.A.N.-sponsored events, such as dances, ice-cream socials and trainings.
Daily Rewards
Membership will be offered in the middle schools, but the role will be somewhat different at the middle school level. At the high school, C.A.N. is primarily a reward for good decisions a student has already made. A drug user is unlikely to give up drugs in exchange for discounts and social activities. High school students who sign a C.A.N. contract likely aleady have chosen not to use drugs.
At the middle school level, most students have not yet faced the possibility of drug use. It is at the elementary level where C.A.N. will play a very important role. Membership in C.A.N. confirms that a person is rewarded every day by choosing to be drug free. As a C.A.N. member, the rewards come in the form of discounts and social activities. In real life, the rewards are revealed as healthy relationships, decent jobs, and financial security. Many antidrug programs are reactive and tell kids to just say "NO." C.A.N. is PROACTIVE and encourages children to say "YES" to a better quality of life.
C.A.N. isn't seasonal; it would be foolish to think that students don't deal with drug choices when school is not in session, therefore, the program is fully operational during the summer months. Summer is also the first opportunity for upcoming middle school students to sign up for the program and use its benefits.
Numbers Don't Lie
According to the 2006 PNA, self reported alcohol use has remained relatively constant for all grade levels surveyed. As we expected, alcohol use increased with age. The largest increase occurred between the 6th and 8th grades.
The questions that always rise are: "How do they obtain alcohol?" 54.4% of 6th grade students who reported drinking alcohol said that they recieved their last alcohol beverage from their parents. 52% of 12th grade students who reported drinking alcohol said that they recieved their last drink of alcohol from an adult over 21 years of age.
"Where do they drink alcohol?" 59.6% of 6th grade students reported drinking in their own home in the past 12 months, as opposed to 49.6% of 12th grade students. Only 26.6% of 6th grade students reported drinking at a friend's house in the past 12 months, as opposed to 76.3% of 12th grade students. 8th grade students reported drinking at about the same percentage for both drinking at a friend's house (53.9%) and at home (54.7%) in the past year.
The most frequently reported substance used in Platte County was alcohol. Community Rewards for Prosocial involvement was low for 6th, 8th and 10th grade stdents. For 12th grade students, they feel we could improve on the School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement. We want to change these numbers.
Power to the Students
The idea behind C.A.N. is simple, yet revolutionary: give youth access to positive alternatives, and the responsibility to be accountable to one another, and they will make great choices. Too often the good kids -- the MAJORITY of kids -- are never recognized or rewarded for all of the things they do right. C.A.N. owes part of its success to the fact that positive peer pressure is at least as effective as negative peer pressure. This face has been seriously underutilized as a tool for encouraging socially responsible decisions. Another key component to the success of the program is student management. Without it, C.A.N. would just be another initiative mandated by adults who claim to know what is best for kids. From C.A.N.'s experience, it seems that kids really do know what's best.
Contacts:
OWN IT! -- 331-1556
Krista West (OWN IT! Director) -- 331-3042
Lewana West (OWN IT! Manager) -- 322-1556
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Mr. Loyd: Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our cause. We really appreciate all the hours you and your family have put into helping us make the building look its best, as well as all the donations you've offered for us (the foosball table, as well as getting in touch with the Coca-Cola company for the vending machine, to name a few). None of what we've accomplished would be possible without your help!
Mr. Ward: Thank you SO much for the fantastic mural! It looks amazing hung up on our wall, and we definitely appreciate it; we know you used your free time to make it for us, and we cannot thank you enough for that. The Hub just would not be the same without it!
Bloedorn Lumber, Drube's, Ace Hardware: Thank you for the paint and supplies you donated to us in our time of need - without you, The Hub would not be its spic and span self, and that would really be a shame!
The Book Nook: Thank you for the books that you've donated to The Hub. I haven't read any yet, but I'm sure they'll be fantastic - and we really needed some literature there; a wide variety of everything is what makes a great place for community youth, and your donation is greatly appreciated!
Platte Vally National Bank, First State Bank: Thank you for your donations towards CAN; the money was greatly appreciated, and was put to great use!
Parents: Thank you for volunteering your time towards supervising the youth of Platte CAN. Without supervision, the youth would just run wild; no one wants that! You are all greatly appreciated (you know who you are!), and we cannot thank you enough for helping us to make this a posibility.
Weboing!: Thank you so much for all of your continued support; we really appreciate how dedicated you've become to our cause! We'll always remember you as our very first sponsor - the one who put the spark back into our sponsor search! Also, thanks for providing us with a page of Wheaterville to get our word out to the community! Without you, word of our endeavors would not be spreading like wildfire, and what fun would that be?
VIBE: Thank you for becoming our second sponsor! We appreciate your enthusiasm towards our cause, and look forward to your opening in April. Also, thanks for the offer of a cribbage board donation; I'm positive that will be put to good use in The Hub, and the youth of CAN is really grateful towards you and your support!
Krista, Lewanna, June, Joanne & all the rest: Thank you guys for your support; you helped us get off our feet, but are always reminding us that this is OUR thing, and we're in charge! It's great to be told that, because as youth, we usually aren't given that sort of power! Don't worry, though; it won't go to our heads...too much!
(More thank you's to come!)
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What are C.A.N. Sponsors? What do they do?
C.A.N. Sponsors are local businesses that support C.A.N. and everything that we stand for, and are willing to show the community that support through offering special rewards to C.A.N. members only. These rewards do not have to be substantial. In fact, they can range anywhere from 5% off a purchase, a free item with a purchase, coupons for the business that only C.A.N. members can use, etc.
For example, some businesses in Cody that are supporting C.A.N. offer C.A.N. members anywhere from 10-30% off purchases, buy one get one free offers, and a magnitude of other savings, discounts and deals.
If you decide to support Platte C.A.N., you will be rewarded through advertisement during any C.A.N. events and/or activities.
Can I become a C.A.N. Sponsor?
Of course! If you are interested, please contact Krista West at (307) 331-3042! We would love to have you!
How can I tell who's a C.A.N. member?
C.A.N. members have their very own identification cards! Any local business who sponsors C.A.N. can simply ask for a C.A.N identification card when a C.A.N. member wants to use a special sponsor reward. It's that simple! (However, only C.A.N. Gold Members are elegible for sponsor benefits, so make sure to check for the gold star on the identification card! If it's not there, the benefits don't apply!)
Who do C.A.N. benefits apply to?
C.A.N. benefits apply only to C.A.N. Gold Members. If you are just a C.A.N. pledge, you cannot use the C.A.N. benefits (sorry!). C.A.N. Gold Members and C.A.N. pledges can be told apart by their identification cards. C.A.N. Gold Member I.D. cards have a gold star right next to the signature line, whereas C.A.N. pledge I.D. cards have no star!
(Don't understand the difference between a CAN pledge and a CAN member? Check out the FAQ's!)
C.A.N. benefits apply only to C.A.N. Gold Members. If you are just a C.A.N. pledge, you cannot use the C.A.N. benefits (sorry!). C.A.N. Gold Members and C.A.N. pledges can be told apart by their identification cards. C.A.N. Gold Member I.D. cards have a gold star right next to the signature line, whereas C.A.N. pledge I.D. cards have no star!
(Don't understand the difference between a CAN pledge and a CAN member? Check out the FAQ's!)
Current Platte CAN Sponsors:
Sponsor - CAN Member Benefit
Weboing! - 5% discount on Weboing! hosted websites
VIBE - 5% discount off any woodcraft purchase
VIBE - 5% discount off any woodcraft purchase
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is C.A.N.?
A: C.A.N. is a non-profit, proactive, student-run anti-drug and alcohol program that has been set up in our community in order to reward those children who chose to make the right choices about drugs and alcohol by providing fun activities such as Wii, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, Pool, Ping Pong, Foosball, and much, much more.
Q: Who can join C.A.N.?
A: Anyone can! Our target age groups are in grades 6-12, but if you are an adult and are interested, we have adult sponsor forms available for you, as well!
Q: Why does C.A.N. want my medical records?
A: C.A.N. merely wants to know if you have ever had a previous infraction with the law because of substance abuse. If you have, it won't be held against you; it is doubtful that we will ever even look at your medical records. This is just a precaution. The only occasion when it would be necessary for us to look at your medical records would be if you are under suspicion of drug and/or alcohol use, and are demanded to be tested for these substances. (This does not apply to C.A.N. Pledges.)
Q: Is it mandatory that I release my medical records to C.A.N.?
A: Absolutely not! C.A.N. would never force you to do something you don't want to do, and this includes releasing your medical records/history to us! However, if you do not wish to do so, you will become merely a C.A.N. pledge, and not a C.A.N. member.
Q: What is the difference between a C.A.N. member and a C.A.N. pledge?
A: A C.A.N. pledge has only signed the pledge to be drug and alcohol free. These people are only capable of free use of the C.A.N. facilities. However, C.A.N. members have gone the extra mile, and taken their application forms to be signed and notarized at any participating local business in order to release their medical records/history to C.A.N.
C.A.N. members have a much larger variety of benefits, including but not limited to: free admittance to all C.A.N.-sponsored events, free admittance to C.A.N. facilities, all special benefits offered by C.A.N. sponsors, ability to be nominated onto the C.A.N. board of officials, as well as the opportunity to be selected in order to be featured in a collectable C.A.N. trading card, etc.
C.A.N. members are considered "Gold Members", which simply means they are allowed to use the special benefits offered by C.A.N. sponsors; these members have gold stars on their I.D. cards, right next to the signature line, so that sponsoring businesses can easily tell who is allowed to use their benefits!
(Have any questions that weren't answered here? Feel free to leave it in a comment, and it will be answered as quickly as possible!)
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