We have so much to celebrate with respect to our youth in Anchorage and throughout Alaska.
Recently, Alaska Dispatch news has featured numerous stories about remarkable youth, including Maeva Ordaz, a senior at West High who won a national poetry recitation contest, and Byron Nicholai of Toksook Bay, who has started an extraordinary Facebook page that shares his Yup'ik culture with the world. The UAA debate team just went toe-to-toe with the debate team from Oxford University. And thousands of Alaska students are successfully graduating from high school and college during the next several weeks.
What's more, studies show that many youth risk behaviors are declining in Anchorage and Alaska. Prevention has been working. But we can do even more to help our youth thrive.
Our community has wonderful opportunities to support the accomplishments of our youth and to help in the prevention of youth risk behaviors. Research shows how important it is to youth to feel that they matter to people in the community; have volunteer and after-school opportunities; and have caring parents and other adults in their lives.
The numbers are impressive. For instance, for youth in Anchorage who "strongly agree" or "agree" that they feel they matter to people in their community, these youth are 54.6 percent less likely to feel sad or hopeless, 59.4 percent less likely to have seriously considered committing suicide; 34.7 percent less likely to currently use marijuana; and 33.5 percent less likely to miss class without permission, according to a recent UAA study by Dr. Gabe Garcia.
There are many ways to help our youth feel that they matter. United Way of Anchorage has a terrific, easy, community campaign that everyone can participate in to congratulate our Class of 2015 high school graduates. We want our graduates to know how proud we are of them and how much their hard work and graduation accomplishments mean to us. Individuals and businesses throughout the community are hanging banners, posting signs and taking photos congratulating our graduates. It is simple to participate -- just begin by going to http://www.90by2020.org.
This year, National Prevention Week begins May 18. The theme is: "The Voice of One, The Power of All." We know this to be true in Anchorage. Each of our voices matter. The UAA study mentioned above shows that if parents talk to their children about school every day, these children are 32 percent less likely to drink, 33.7 percent less likely to binge drink, and 39.1 percent less likely to use marijuana. Also, for youth who have one or more adults, other than their parents, with whom they feel comfortable seeking help, those youth are 48 percent less likely to have seriously considered suicide. And for youth who participate in organized after-school activities at least one day per week, they are 30.7 percent less likely to use marijuana.
At 6 p.m. Monday there will be a public gathering at the BP Energy Center to discuss "Stories of Successful Prevention, Treatment and Recovery," sponsored by Alaska Youth Development Coalition and Providence Breakthrough. This will be a time for our community to see the progress we have made on prevention, including a drop in teen alcohol use from 38.8 percent in 2003 to 24.2 percent in 2013; and a drop in teen binge drinking from 25.9 percent in 2003 to 12.8 percent in 2013. For youth who need help, there will be compelling personal stories about recovery and how treatment works. There will also be other events during National Prevention Week. To learn more, just call AYDC at 277-4179.
We all matter in helping youth in Anchorage and the rest of Alaska succeed. Local as well as national research strongly supports this. Youth are our most important natural resource, and we have so many reasons to be proud of and celebrate Alaska's youth both during graduation season and throughout the year.
Deborah Williams is executive director of the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com