Want to know what you'll learn?
Teen Institute…
- Provides up-to-date information regarding the consequences of alcohol and other drug use and misuse.
- Develops an understanding of prevention.
- Teaches leadership and programming strategies.
- Motivates participants to implement and/or enhance prevention programs in their schools and communities.
Over the years, TI graduates have created ongoing and very powerful change for themselves, their friends, their schools and communities.
Teen Institute was Missouri’s first youth substance use prevention initiative, debuting alongside PreventEd’s in-school prevention programming in 1980. It remains our longest running youth leadership program. Between 80 and 100 high school leaders who seek to become a voice for substance use prevention and forces for positive change attend TI’s four-day, three-night retreat every year for an immersive and life-changing experience.
Our Prevention Educators lead activities and workshops that enable students to:
- Develop personal resiliency, leadership, and peer engagement skills
- Gain science-based knowledge regarding substance misuse and substance use disorder
- Strengthen their fact-based perception of the harms of teenage substance use and their confidence as peer leaders for prevention
TI also places an emphasis on fostering a space conducive to the development of relationships with diverse peers from all over the region. We include structured social activities where participants continue to hone their team-building skills. These sessions demonstrate and reinforce the fact that having fun does not need to revolve around the use of alcohol and drugs. Students leave TI prepared and empowered to be positive influences on their peers, their families, and their communities.