Youth for Youth (Y4Y)

Logo that says Youth4Youth and has three figures celebrating.

Who We Are

Broomfield Youth for Youth (Y4Y) is the youth advisory group for Broomfield Communities That Care (CTC), a community coalition that uses prevention strategies to reduce youth substance use. Y4Y is focused on three areas to help teens lead healthy lives:

  1. Youth substance use prevention
  2. Improved well-being 
  3. Forming positive relationships

We value a group atmosphere that is open-minded, empowering, inclusive, fun, and, most importantly, youth-led! Learn more about CTC. 

Y4Y Naloxone and Opioid Overdose Awareness Project, Summer 2023

Another Y4Y summer project is in the books! This year, 15 advisers educated our community about opioid overdose, the risks of fentanyl contamination, and how to safely and quickly reverse an overdose with naloxone (Narcan). Y4Y advisers spent over 50 hours at community events across Broomfield this summer! They also created a survey for teens and parents, to further understand current knowledge and opinions on opioid overdose and naloxone. Y4Y presented the results of the survey to over 30 community leaders, youth, and partners.

Y4Y Recommends: 

  • Keep the conversations going to normalize carrying and using Narcan. Most people want to learn more about Narcan and opioid overdose.
  • Providing more Narcan training for parents, to encourage conversations and acceptance. 
  • Increase free Narcan distribution sites across the community. 
  • Continue to provide education in a variety of ways, especially social media, which teens report as the source of most information. 
  • Messaging should be empowering and positive, where possible.

It’s important to remember that although overdose deaths and fentanyl-contaminated pills are both on the rise, the vast majority of Broomfield high school students aren’t using pills without a prescription. Narcan is safe, easy to use, and can save a life. 

Looking for Narcan? Pick up a free kit at the Broomfield Library or Broomfield Municipal Courts - learn more at Broomfield.org/Narcan! Reach out to Y4Y at youth4youthinfo@gmail.com to request a training. 

  • Follow Y4Y on Instagram @broomfieldy4y to learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities and community events. 
  • Questions or ideas for collaboration? Email youth4youthinfo@gmail.com 
  • Listen to our podcast "Sincerely, Teens" (Spotify,  iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and Youtube). 
  • Recruitment for new advisers typically occurs in the spring. Email Laura Paulson LPaulson@broomfield.org for more information.  

Resources

Y4Y developed a great mental health support & resource guide for teens during COVID-19. Find it here.

Icon that says 'free therapy' and iMatter.org.iMatter
Funded by the state of Colorado, this program provides up to 6 free behavioral health sessions for youth in Colorado.
Icon that says "rise above".Rise Above Colorado
This program empowers youth to live a life free of drug use.
Icon that says "sometimes anxiety lies just below the surface" and "text talk to 38255".Below the Surface
This program aims to connect teens to Colorado Crisis Services by texting "TALK" to 38255.


In Summer 2022, our 14 advisers (including 10 new members!) learned about marijuana use among youth in our community, and how to use strengths-based messaging to promote healthy choices and positive perceptions of young people. They also built skills in public health, prevention science, how to use data, marketing strategies, and how to communicate on social media and to people in the community. 

Y4Y used all these skills and data from the 2021 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey to promote positive community norms around youth marijuana use. Y4Y shared these messages with the Broomfield community at National Night Out on August 2. 

Y4Y Photovoice Project, Summer 20214 teens standing behind photos they took around Broomfield.

In Summer 2021, Y4Y focused on a Photovoice Project about  “community connection”. Fifteen Y4Y advisers were given the prompt: “What things help or prevent you from being connected in your community?” and were then asked to record and reflect on this question through photography and critical dialogue with the group. The advisers met with community members and stakeholders in the community to share their key takeaways and come up with next steps to help break down barriers to youth accessing prosocial opportunities and connection in the community. See all the photos and takeaways from the project here.

Y4Y Sources of Strength Community Resiliency Project, Summer 2020

This summer, Y4Y focused on a youth and community priority, “connectivity and resiliency”, which is particularly important during the current state of quarantine due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Sources of Strength (Sources), a comprehensive wellness and resiliency-building program, served as the guide in creating an empowered community, where young people and adults learned to develop and/or recognize their support systems and lean into their strengths, to raise the level of wellness in our homes and community. Sources is designed to harness the power of peer and community networks to change unhealthy norms and cultures, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. Y4Y advisers were trained as Peer Leaders in Sources and are partnering with Broomfield Community Members in an effort to support the emotional health and wellness of our community. For more information, email youth4youthinfo@gmail.com.

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