Teen Ambassador Program

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

The Teen Ambassador Program is a partnership between the SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment) coalition, Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services and Communities in Schools of Chesterfield. Trained high school students mentor elementary school students in an after school setting for ten weeks. Three Chesterfield County elementary schools are the sites for the Teen Ambassador Program; the high school students, who are mentors for the program, self-assigned to volunteer in one of the elementary schools for the duration of the ten week program. Each session includes a snack, a warm up activity, an interactive substance abuse prevention lesson, homework help, and the delivery of an incentive to the elementary school students that includes the program’s “100% Me, Drug Free” message. The high school age mentors model a substance use free lifestyle and incorporate messages about living a substance use free lifestyle into their interactions with the elementary aged youth. The Teen Ambassador Program is in its second year, has gained more high school volunteer mentors and more elementary schools wish to become program sites.