YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

The CODA Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of students from all over Canada who have a shared passion to reduce and prevent substance abuse in their schools, communities and among their friends. Designed to empower and encourage students to learn from each other about the dangers of drug abuse, communities across Canada will be enriched by local YAC activities.

Students are invited and encouraged to create a Youth Advisory Council in their schools. All school YAC leaders ('Ambassadors') in a particular administrative region (104 total administrative regions in Canada) together form a Regional Youth Advisory Council, and one member from each Regional YAC is invited to join their Provincial YAC. This multi-layered network allows Youth Advisory Council members in all regions across Canada to effectively and efficiently work together toward reducing and preventing drug abuse in Canada. The YAC also helps bridge the gap between youth and adults by twinning a local CODA Educator with each of the Regional YACs.

The first provincial Youth Advisory Council to be launched is the Ontario YAC, which will consist of 16 Regional YACs. We ask students to implement the program in their schools and join the YAC network across Ontario. All Ontario secondary school students are invited and encouraged to apply for this experience of a lifetime.

In celebration of National Drug Awareness Week, which takes place every year during the third week of November, all YACers from across Canada will gather for a conference. The inaugural Annual YAC Conference will be held in Toronto in November of 2009. At this conference, you will meet all other YACers, share experiences and learn from each other about youth drug abuse and what you can do to prevent it in your communities.

Want to get your YAC on?!

To join the CODA YAC, you must first apply and be accepted. To apply, you need to send CODA a completed application package. Your package must include:

• CODA YAC application form
• One (1) reference letters (teacher, sports coach, school principal, guidance counsellor, etc.)
• Parental Consent form (for youth under 18 years of age)

There is NO APPLICATION FEE or MEMBERSHIP FEE.

Click on the links below to download your copy of the application materials.

GOOD LUCK!