The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi has learned that it is impossible to change the culture of our state through systematic methods without spending some time in with church members and leaders. It is the faith-based organizations who speak to the people of Mississippi every week, who serve as moral authorities of the community and who can offer sound and trusted advice to all people in all types of congregations. The program consists of a two pronged approach to promoting healthy lifestyles. The first is the SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) boot camp, which teach 4th through 7th graders basic life resiliency skills, with regards to not only tobacco use, but other life choices. By design, the program teaches decision-making skills that translate into helping them make a host of decisions about various destructive behaviors. The camps last five days and serve as the initiation and educational phase of SWAT teams. These teams continue to meet monthly to ensure sustainability of the prevention and behavioral messages stressed during the camps. The second prong is the youth influences component. In this component youth will be working with adults to provide information in how to kick the habit. The faith-based organizations have signed pledges to become tobacco free and conducted classes on addiction for their congregation. Evaluation shows that knowledge and skill levels among youth increased. An expansion during the next funding cycle will allow faith-based organizations to become a part of their local community coalition.
Learning Objectives: Participants will: Learn the program model used in Mississippi Receive empirical and ancedontal evaluative data
Keywords: Rural Populations, Tobacco
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