TOWNSHEND — On Feb. 7, West River Valley Thrives was one of 171 community coalitions honored during a graduation ceremony at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's National Leadership Forum, just outside of Washington, D.C.
The coalitions received a graduation certificate for completing CADCA's National Coalition Academy, a rigorous training program designed to increase the effectiveness of community drug-prevention leaders.
“We are so proud of our coalition for investing the time and resources to take advantage of the best community coalition training in the world. To graduate from this year-long intensive course is no small feat and West River Valley Thrives is more prepared today to be an effective, sustainable coalition because of this training,” Program Director Kristin Cox said in a news release.
The coalition currently assists in the coordination of the Refuse to Use program at Leland & Gray and runs a youth group called “Above the Influence” at the school. One of its current goals is to find ways to support parents in their efforts to communicate with their teens about tough topics. West River Valley Thrives looks forward to kicking off a parent workshop series this fall.
West River Valley Thrives says its mission is to “support and promote healthy lifestyle choices with an emphasis on the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use by young people.”