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Start Talking
Students rally for
prevention at Ohio Statehouse
Arcanum Health Team wins $1,000 scholarship
5/2/2018
More than 2,100 middle and high school students across Ohio marched in
downtown Columbus on April 19 as part of the 7th annual We Are The
Majority Rally to celebrate healthy lifestyles and advocate for
youth-led prevention.
“The We Are The Majority Rally brings together youth from all across
Ohio and from all walks of life to celebrate the fact that the vast
majority of youth in Ohio don’t smoke, drink or use drugs,” said Harim
C. Ellis, Director of Youth-Led Programs and the Ohio Youth-Led
Prevention Network at Prevention Action Alliance, which organizes the
annual rally. “This year’s rally was the biggest ever, and the youths’
message was clear – they’re doing their part to prevent drug use and
promote mental health wellness, and they need support from us adults to
continue doing that.”
“The rally unites teens and adults alike from across Ohio to showcase
that the majority of teens are making positive and healthy decisions in
their lives,” said Sahana Jayaraman, a member of the Ohio Youth-Led
Prevention Network Youth Council that planned the rally. “It’s our day
to show Ohio that the majority of their youth are leaders in their
communities, are making an impact and are choosing positive paths for
their lives.”
The We Are The Majority rally was led by the Youth Council of the Ohio
Youth-Led Prevention Network, a network of the Prevention Action
Alliance. It was made possible with financial support from the Ohio
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Verizon and the
OhioHealth Foundation.
“OhioMHAS is proud to be a part of the We Are The Majority rally. Every
year, this wonderful event empowers youth throughout the state to know
that they are not alone when they choose not to use drugs,” said Tracy
Plouck, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services. “It also inspires those of us who work in behavioral health
to know that young people don’t need to be ‘fixed’ but instead brought
to the table when we talk about solutions to behavioral health
problems.”
As part of the We Are The Majority rally this year, the Prevention
Action Alliance, Start Talking!, Verizon, King’s Island and Cedar Point
also hosted Start Talking! Start Recording: Ohio’s Youth Got Talent, a
talent show designed to highlight the talented youth across Ohio by
challenging them to share their drug-free message with others.
The winners of the talent show, decided live by those who attended the
We Are The Majority Rally, were:
Aidan Sweet, of Powell, winning a $2,500 scholarship.
Teghan Reed, of Mogadore, winning a $1,500 scholarship.
The Arcanum High School Health Team, of Arcanum, winning a $1,000
scholarship.
“We had many, worthy and inspiring contestants enter this talent show
competition, and I thank them for sharing their talents with us,” said
Ellis. “I especially want to thank our finalists for sharing their
talents and their message live…at the rally.”
“The purpose of Start Talking! is to encourage conversations with youth
about the importance of being drug-free,” said Sarah Moore, Director,
Start Talking! “The Start Talking & Start Recording talent contest
offered Ohio students an opportunity to promote this message and
encourage their peers to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Thank you
to the students who submitted videos for this contest and thank you to
our corporate sponsors who made this opportunity possible.”
Remember to follow Start Talking! on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Learn how to get the drug prevention conversation started at
StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.
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