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Whitney Daniels

Professor Jennifer Courtney

English 2010

7 February 2017

A Reason for Hope

The experiences that are had in life often shape the character of an individual.

Adolescence is an important time of development. It is a time where teenagers discover their

identity, future, and purpose in life. In building character, there are key factors that are

influential, such as family, school, and community values. Unfortunately, in society physical

image bombards the social world. Messages in society are given that justify, normalize, and

encourage the use of drugs, alcohol, and other unhealthy trends. For example, Lady Gaga was

recently body shamed after her halftime performance at this years Super Bowl because of her

belly that was hanging out of her costume (Kerr-Dineene). With the intensifying pressure to be

popular, trendy, and cool, teens often give in to these unhealthy practices.

There needs to be an outlet that teens can turn to in order to turn away from these

harmful habits. Habits that are attained during the teenage years can last a lifetime. Programs are

especially needed for teenagers who are at-risk, meaning that they have circumstances that will

make them unlikely to attain the skills needed to function in society. They risk dropping out of

school, getting involved in gangs, abusing alcohol or drugs, and probable future incarceration.

To best help teenagers attain healthy habits, psychological needs must be considered.

Developmentally, teens have a hard time making decisions because their brain is not fully
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developed. In the study of human development, a term called the invincibility fate is highly

monitored during this stage of life. This means that a teen feels like they can do anything without

getting hurt or affected. This leads to the question: How can a program help teens in their

decision making?

As students are developing, decision making is emphasized in school. Discipline is given

based on the students choices each day. There are

many prevention programs that are given such

as suicide/drug/alcohol/bullying prevention

programs. Are these programs effective?

Historically, drug prevention programs have

not been proven successful. For example, the

D.A.R.E. program has been criticized because it is not

Students' Response to DARE. Dual Diagnosis

having the intended outcome among children who have participated. In an article from the

National Journal, it debates what the D.A.R.E. program lacks and what drug prevention

education programs should have. Regarding policy makers and educators, Gorman states that,

They dont want to condone drug use, but the Just Say No message isnt necessarily

persuasive to a generation of kids whose parents, teachers, and elected leaders have used drugs,

and in some cases, still use them. (Gorman 2602). A different message needs to be established

to fit the specific generation. Further arguments suggest that the D.A.R.E. program is a feel-

good program that interferes with the ability to logically observe the effect of the program

(Dineen 56).

Due to this knowledge, researchers can view what has been unsuccessful in the past in

drug prevention programs. Former president George H. W. Bush gave insight on the topic of
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drug prevention. He feels that for most adolescents ignorance is not the disease (Gorman

2602). This suggests that merely educating students about drug abuse will not necessarily stop

them from using drugs because they feel that they are

indestructible.

Gorman reasons that building healthy habits can be a

replacement for unhealthy behaviors. To solely focus on

preventing issues such as drug and alcohol abuse decreases a

programs effectiveness. Many educators have expressed that

being involved in school activities helps one to be successful.

In the article,
Office of National Drug Control Policy; Retrieved from
"Prevention Takes a Different Tack."
Extracurricular Activity and Student

Engagement: Everyone Gains it argues that, Student activity programs seem to have better

results in reducing drop out behavior than programs that are designed specifically for at-risk

students, since these programs tend to concentrate marginal students and focus on deficits rather

than providing a productive, voluntary way for students to engage with the school community

(Johnston). Gaining skills and becoming passionate about something helps a teen identify who

they would like to become. Establishing healthy habits and skills are important to the avoidance

of controlling substances such as drugs or alcohol.

YouthWorks focuses on the good that teenagers can offer. It addresses the issues that

other programs neglect. YouthWorks is a program that is for teenagers ages 14-18. Generally,

participants in the program are at-risk students. It is a nationally based organization, but there is a

branch that is located in South Salt Lake. It is one of the programs of the NeighborhoodWorks

organization.
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Students apply to join YouthWorks. When they are selected they are put on a team to help

work on projects that beautify the community. Some of these projects include remodeling homes,

painting murals, landscaping, helping at events, building fences, and other community work.

Participants are paid bi-weekly, but they must keep certain requirements to earn their paycheck.

One of the requirements is to maintain a C grade or higher in each of their classes. On the job

there are additional rules that must be kept. If the worker is caught swearing, one dollar is

docked from their pay. Other than the physical labor, there is a mandatory life skills class with

take home assignments that must be completed in order to receive a paycheck.

There are many specific goals that YouthWorks hopes to accomplish. It hopes to provide

the participants with life skills and pre-employment skills. The objectives and outcomes for the

teens that participate are to achieve 90% school attendance with passing grades, to terminate

court involvement, to increase pro-social activities, and to increase drug and alcohol awareness

(NeighborhoodWorks). Clearly these goals involve several different areas of life.

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Recently, a revitalized home had a ribbon

cutting ceremony in which the YouthWorks

committee was honored. The house was located

in the Rose Park area. Many YouthWorks groups

have contributed to its beautification over the

years and now NeighborhoodWorks will help

finance it at an affordable price to a family in

need. This not only helps the youth gain new

Ribbon Cutting. NeighborhoodWorks, Rose Park. Facebook Image.

skills, but it helps to fight the stereotypes of

how that area of town may be viewed as ghetto or trashy. The youth can look back each time

they pass the house and remember the hard work they put in to it.

Many participants have benefited greatly from this program. It develops team-building

skills between the members. One participant (name withheld for privacy) says, Once youre in

the program the girls become like family. (Student #1). Another past participant said that her,

whole mentality changed on how she chose to live her life. (Stuart). One boy earned his way

out of the court system and accredits that to joining YouthWorks (Rogers).

In conclusion, teenagers need direction. They need a purpose to help them focus on

meaningful and important things. There are programs that have tried to prevent poor choices and

have not fully accomplished their objectives. YouthWorks incorporates positive guidance to all

who are involved in the program. Instead of reinforcing what teens should not do, programs

should focus on alternatives that can be constructive for their future employment and social

skills. The messages that the world sends cannot be muted. However, YouthWorks gives teens a

reason to hope and helps them to build a strong character.

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Works Cited

#1, Student. YouthWorks Survey Whitney Daniels. 23 January 2017.

Dineen, Tana. "When it comes to drug-abuse programs, 'just say no' to time-wasters like DARE."
Report/ Newsmagazine (National Edition) (2001): 56. Article.
Gorman, Siobhan. "Prevention Takes a Different Tack." National Journal (2002): 2602. Article.
Johnston, Howard "Extracurricular Activities and Student Achievement: Everyone Gains."
Kerr-Dineene, Luke. Internet trolls body-shamed Lady Gaga's 'belly', so her fans hit back. Hard.
. 6 2 2017. Article. 7 2 2017.
NeighborhoodWorks. YouthWorks. n.d. Website Page. 8 2 2017.
Ribbon Cutting. NeighborhoodWorks, Rose Park. Facebook Image.
Rogers, Melinda. YouthWorks Program Steers Teens in the Right Direction. Archived Article.
Salt Lake City: Salt Lake Tribune, 2009. Article.
Stuart, Elizabeth. New approach is causing crime amog kids to drop in Utah and throughout the
nation. Archived Article. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 2011. Article.
Students' Response to DARE. Dual Diagnosis . Bar Graph.