Virginia ABC youth peer program beginning 2025-2026 enrollment on April 1

The Virginia ABC Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project will begin enrollment for its 2025-2026 annual program on April 1.

The project is a year-long peer leadership opportunity fostering healthy communities and the prevention of substance use.

Participation requires the registration of a team of four high school students (including rising ninth-graders) and one adult sponsor.

The annual program begins with a kick-off conference held July 14-18 at Christopher Newport University in Newport News.

During the conference, students attend topical workshops facilitated by peer leaders, hear from well-known motivational speakers and learn leadership and prevention best practices to develop a Strategies To Act Now (STAN) Plan addressing substance use among their peers.

Teams compete for $250 mini-grants to use as seed money and returning teams compete for the $500 Wheeler Award to sustain their continued prevention efforts.

“Peer-led substance use prevention is a proven effective path for empowering young leaders to take a stand to create positive change and promote the culture of healthy behaviors among youth in the commonwealth,” Virginia ABC Youth Education and Prevention Coordinator Wyatt Anderson said. “Given some of the troubling influences and viral pressures on youth in recent years, YADAPP offers timely tools specifically created to help students make smart choices and use their natural strengths to make a difference.”

Early enrollment opens April 1 and offers a discounted enrollment rate of $500 per team through April 30. The price will increase to $600 per team until the June 1 enrollment deadline.

The fee includes conference materials, lodging and meals, as well as year-long coaching and support for adult sponsors as they aid their team in implementing its STAN Plan throughout the school year.

Adult sponsors participate in a separate track throughout the conference and receive resources and training on topics that will help them support their team. Adult sponsors are eligible for continuing education units and professional development hours.

Law enforcement officers are eligible for partial in-service credits through the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Since its inception in 1984, YADAPP has impacted 450 different high schools and community organizations and more than 12,000 students.

For more information and to enroll, visit the YADAPP website, www.yadapp.com.