Underage drinking rates are declining in Clatsop County.  I strongly believe that the service Jessica has provided to our community has played an instrumental role in the reduction. 

Jessica Johnson is an AmeriCorps Member serving through the Oregon Department of Human Services AmeriCorps HOPE (Healthy Options through Prevention Education) program.  I nominate Jessica and the service she provides to young girls in our county for the award under the “healthy futures” category. 

Five years ago, underage drinking rates in Clatsop County were skyrocketing.  Girls were drinking more often and at higher rates than boys.  For the last two years Jessica has implemented a continuum of research based prevention programs and has reached over 100 5^th grade girls in our small rural county.  Included in the array of services are the programs Allies in Action, Friendly PEERsuasion, and this summer she will pilot the program Go Girls Go.  Together, these programs provide girls with the skills and opportunities to prevent girl-to-girl bullying, substance abuse, and obesity.   Girls Inc.’s program Allies in Action is a curriculum designed to reduce the instances of relational aggression, the girl-to-girl bullying known as “mean girl” behavior. Teachers and administrators from partnering schools report that the girls who participate in the program become leaders in the school creating a better, and safer, learning environment.  Friendly PEERsuasion, also a Girls Inc. program, is an evidence-based substance-abuse prevention program. Participant surveys reveal a significant increase in knowledge and attitudinal change.  Go Girls Go is a program of the Women’s Sports Foundation that focuses on valuable skills around healthy lifestyles, physical activity and positive body image.

County-wide implementation of these important programs requires collaboration with five school districts.  It takes a skillful community leader to navigate the complexities of five district bureaucracies with individual cultures and policies. As an AmeriCorps Member, Jessica has successfully engaged all five school districts. She has accomplished this feat because she is so passionate about the skills and messages provided by her programs. Jessica recognizes the importance of Girls’ services and is willing to work through any challenge to make those services available.

Above all else, Jessica has made such a positive impact on the girls participating in the program.  Jessica creates a warm and accepting atmosphere, while setting high expectations and healthy standards for the girls. When she walks into a classroom, the girls are excited to see her and to take part in the day’s activities. Her program retention rates (nearly 100%) demonstrate her unique abilities as a role model and facilitator.   Some of the feedback from the girls includes:

• [It] was useful because I can really start helping people make good choices
• [It] helped me understand that it is alright to talk about your feelings
• I learned more about drugs and alcohol
• I feel the stuff we are learning about is something we can use in the future
• Jessica is a good teacher
• Jessica was an excellent teacher!
• Group leaders are always positive and kind.

Underage drinking rates are declining in Clatsop County.  I strongly believe that the service Jessica has provided to our community has played an instrumental role in the reduction.