SACY Youth Prevention and Engagement Stream

SACY Youth Prevention and Engagement workers work in secondary schools to provide effective and relevant prevention strategies for youth, and to support youth who may be at higher risk for abusing drugs or alcohol.

Youth Engagement under the SACY philosophy is about creating safe places for students from all backgrounds to share their personal perspectives and to have their voices heard by their peers.

By building trust with young people and allowing them to speak about their experiences, expertise, concerns or issues, it is possible to help youth feel safer, and more supported and connected in their lives. They then can more readily explore options for their lives that make sense while embracing their values, goals and passions.

What do SACY Youth Prevention and Engagement Workers do?

SACY Youth Prevention and Engagement Workers:

• Support health promotion and prevention initiatives that are available within the school setting
• Conduct dynamic educational workshops, clubs, and events at various grade levels
• Deliver classroom presentations on core concepts and facts related to substance use prevention and intervention
• Facilitate opportunities for the exchange of ideas and experiences among groups of young people, parents, teachers and community leaders which can help young people feel more connected (see ‘Capacity Cafes’ )
• Create opportunities for youth to become engaged in school and community life through acts of service and volunteerism

Testimonials 

Read what some of our youth participants have to say: The people [SACY staff] are great. They're accepting, non-judgmental, and fun. They know where you're coming from and are easy to talk to. SACY makes you think a lot about your life. It has helped me get through some of the tougher aspects of adolescence, and has most definitely helped me resolve some serious conflicts. SACY Youth Participant I look at things in different ways with my peers, the homeless, drugs and alcohol. Being in SACY makes me feel like a better person. Through SACY I’ve become more responsible and it has shown me to be myself. SACY has helped me develop my leadership skills and has educated me more about drugs and alcohol. In the three years I have been in SACY I have learned a lot and become more aware of things around me. SACY has helped me learn more about the world and my self and has helped me grow as a person.

Read what others have to say about the SACY youth stream


[SACY] has given my child confidence to talk about difficult things. He is more confident and communicates better. It is also part of a responsible anti-drug culture and it is good for my child to feel a part of that. In fact, it has facilitated a feeling of belonging for my child since we just moved here before the beginning of the school year

SACY Parent Workshop Participant

The SACY youth stream has given a group of 'fringe' students and opportunity to belong and participate in a meaningful fashion within the school environment. The SACY staff have been instrumental in helping to create a 'wrap around' service structure to support students at risk of falling through the cracks.

School counsellor

SACY is tremendously beneficial to the at-risk students at our school. In offering youth workshops to at-risk kids they have been able to help youths reflect on the challenges that they face and give them the confidence to deal with the decisions they have to make. Since our kids get to know the SACY worker assigned to our school they also develop an important relationship with an adult that they can trust.

School counsellor