Watertown Healthy Youth will be recognized at Acts of Excellence event
The Acts of Excellence program, sponsored by Sanford Health connects us with individuals and organizations who are building a culture of excellence in South Dakota, one act at a time. Please join us and area inductees to celebrate this Act of Excellence on Thursday, April 15th, 2021, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm CT at the Lake Area Tech College, Event Center Level 4, in Watertown South Dakota.
Watertown Coalition Champions Programs for Healthy Youth
A coalition in Watertown is showing it’s serious about making the community a safe and nourishing place for its youth. Watertown Healthy Youth (WHY) organized a few years ago as a community coalition to focus attention on educating young people and parents on the risky behaviors and choices that can affect the health and safety of children and teens.
As the WHY website puts it, "We identify specific concerns affecting our youth, and organize/promote ways the community can work together to make Watertown a healthy and safe place for our youth." The coalition works to change social behaviors in the community, as well as attitudes that tolerate underage drinking and other unhealthy, risk-taking behaviors. WHY educates the community about best practices in prevention to address underage drinking in the 12-20-year-old demographic, the dangers of binge drinking among 12-24-year-olds, and other drug use or social issues that affect young people.
The coalition points to the implementation in 2011 of the Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol, and Project SUCCESS for a significant decline in measured alcohol and drug use. One community meeting hosted by the coalition focused on prescription drugs, binge drinking, and other illegal drug use. Another event, called "Sweet Deception," included discussions of underage drinking, vaping, and other gateway drugs, and how alcohol and tobacco companies target young people. If caring for the next generation is a measure of a community’s heart, Watertown Healthy Youth is doing things right.