By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Not all trips to Florida are for vacation. In July, Barton County Health Department Health Educator Katelyn Sigler and Youth Crew member Jasmine Figueroa were among the 2,500 attendees at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) training in Orlando, Fla. The pair shared their experience with Barton County Commissioners at Wednesday's meeting.
Sigler attended as the Central Kansas Partnership Coordinator that works with the cessation of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, and as a sponsor for Youth Crew. Sigler said they heard from many of the field's top experts, including those behind the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant that makes the local programs possible.
"We had the opportunity to listen to the Office of National Drug Control Policy director, the CDC acting principal deputy director, and the DFC program administrator," she said.
Figueroa, who will be a sophomore at Great Bend High School this year, was selected to attend this year's training because she is one of the older Youth Crew members and has been with the program since its inception.
"Jasmine has a passion for improving her community, and her dedication to the group is a big reason why she was selected," Sigler said.
On day two of the four-day program, Figueroa met General Barrye Price, president and CEO of CADCA, who offered encouragement to Figueroa.
"He said don't worry about the backlash you're going to get," Sigler said. "He said keep working toward what you want to work toward. It was nice for her to hear that."
Figueroa prepared her own presentation for peers by creating a map of Great Bend, broken down by neighborhoods with hot spots for nicotine and alcohol use. In one of her seminars titled "Empowering Adults to Empower Youth," Sigler heard a similar presentation from a student in one of the largest school districts in the nation.
"There was this one student that made a map of his school district and how many tobacco vendors were close to his school district," Sigler told commissioners. "He did a visual of that, and it was crazy to see how many vaping dispensaries are around their school. That's kind of how they target kids is making it close for them to walk."
Figueroa attended another session where more than 100 students circled up. Those who have been bullied were asked to step forward.
"You realize how many people are with you in that struggle who are battling with being bullied in school," said Sigler. "It's to visually show that you are not alone and people are going through the same thing you are."
Throughout the seminar, the Barton County team learned about drug goggles, which are similar to drunk goggles, when teaching prevention to youth. Sticker Shock is a national campaign that uses stickers on alcohol products to remind adults of the consequences of supplying minors with alcohol. Figueroa learned that working together is the best way to find solutions.
"The biggest thing I learned was how the strategic prevention framework and community change only happens when you have cultural competence and civility," she said.
Figueroa's mother, Flor Sanchez, closed out Wednesday's meeting by thanking those who made the trip to Florida responsible, including Sigler, Marissa Woodmansee, Juvenile Services Director for the 20th Judicial District, and Health Director Karen Winkelman.
"I just wanted to give you a thank you," Sanchez said. "Sometimes we look at the bad stuff but we don't say 'thank you' to the good stuff you're doing."