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AZYP's Teen Maze is an interactive youth prevention program helping Arizona students make healthy choices for their future. Teen Maze Empowering teens to make healthy choices and envision a positive future Teen Maze empowers high school students to make informed choices by exploring how decisions can affect their health, relationships, and future. This interactive experience brings youth and community partners together to promote awareness, prevention, and healthy decision-making. What is Teen Maze? Teen Maze is an interactive, 30- 60 minute event for high school students focused on decision making and the consequences of using drugs and alcohol. Students start at a party, where they are given a card with a scenario about an unhealthy choice that a teen could make at a party. After participating in a mock party the students then enter the “maze”, where they visit different tables that represent possible consequences of decisions made at the party. Stations are run by volunteers from the schools and the community (court, law enforcement, career, hospital), who have a script guiding participants through a discussion about how their decisions affect them, their friends, and their family, as well as what they could do differently. Impact and Results Participation from local law enforcement, health partners, juvenile court helps to increase reality of consequences. Increases students concept of risk associated with drugs and alcohol. Teaches facts about substances not previously known. Sparks conversation with youth about decision-making process. Over 1000 10th grade students participate each year. Our Locations: Services are provided statewide either in person or through virtual programming throughout the state of Arizona. If you are interested in seeing one of our programs at your location please contact us. Contact: Kelley Coronado 520.591.1490 Kelley@AZYP.org

Kids at Hope believes all children are capable of success, NO EXCEPTIONS! Learn how AZYP helps build a culture where youth thrive. Kids at Hope All children are capable of success, NO EXCEPTIONS! Kids at Hope inspires, empowers and transforms schools, organizations serving youth and entire communities to create an environment and culture where all children experience success. What is Kids at Hope? Kids at Hope is not just another program. It’s first and foremost a belief system supported by a cultural strategy which is then enhanced by existing programs. Kids at Hope is an innovative concept which states, and evidence shows that all children are capable of success, NO EXCEPTIONS! Kids at Hope provides tools to schools, organizations and entire communities to support the success of all children. The Three Universal Truths of Success Kids at Hope is based on three universal truths; Believing in children Connecting with children Mentally Time Traveling with children to four different destinations These destinations are Home and Family, Career and Education, Community and Service, and Hobbies and Recreation. After exploring these destinations, the next step is to return to the present to prepare for the journey. The Kids at Hope Pledge I am a Kid at Hope. I am talented, smart, And capable of success. I have dreams for my future, And I will climb to reach Those goals and dreams everyday. Who Can Participate? Kids at Hope works with children from age 3-18. Services are provided statewide either in person or through virtual programming throughout the state of Arizona. If you are interested in seeing one of our programs at your location, please contact us. Contact: Julie Craig 928.961.0426 JulieC@AZYP.org

AZYP's 'Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities' virtual series, tackles critical issues like youth mental health, substance misuse, and family dynamics. Monthly expert-led discussions empower parents, caregivers, and communities to support Arizona's youth. A virtual series that tackled the issues that matter most to youth and those who support them. What is Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities? "Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities" was Arizona Youth Partnership’s monthly virtual series in 2025 designed to bring experts, community leaders, and families together to discuss critical issues impacting youth and families in Arizona. From substance misuse and youth mental health to homelessness and healthy relationships, we provide valuable insights and tools to help caregivers and community members empower the next generation. Watch Anytime: Past Sessions On Demand TARGETED: SOCIAL MEDIA & YOUTH - LANGUAGE, EMOJIS, & APPS During this discussion, we explored how social media influences youth communication, peer interactions, and potential risks. A huge thank you to Robert DeVries for sharing valuable insights on how social media influences youth and what parents & caregivers should know. Learn more about Robert’s impactful work at MSTEPP . 💬 Key Topics Covered: ✅ The evolving digital language of youth ✅ Hidden meanings behind emojis & slang ✅ Popular apps and their potential risks ✅ How parents & caregivers can stay informed NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH This month, in honor of National Nutrition Month, we’re excited to welcome Preston Harris, PhD, RDN, CLT as our featured speaker. Dr. Harris, a leading expert in nutrition and wellness, will discuss the critical role of nutrition in youth development and overall well-being. Learn how balanced diets, healthy eating habits, and proper nutrition impact physical health, cognitive function, and long-term success for young people in our communities. 🔹 Nutrition Trends (foods & social media) 🔹 How can families support healthy eating habits? 🔹 Tips for Youth & Parents/Caregivers Visit www.dukenutritionexperts.com to learn more about their services. YOUTH FINANCIAL LITERACY In this May edition we explore the power of financial literacy in helping youth build a strong foundation for adulthood. Our featured guest, Orlando Guillen from Vantage West Credit Union, shares valuable insights on how financial education can reduce stress, promote smarter decision-making, and empower young people to build a more resilient future. 💸 Key questions explored in this session include: 🔹 How can “buy now, pay later” apps like Afterpay and Klarna impact a young person’s financial health? 🔹 Why might a credit union, like Vantage West, be a better banking option for youth than traditional banks? 🔹 How can parents and caregivers help prepare youth for financial independence while still offering guidance and a safety net? Whether you're a parent, educator, or youth mentor, this session provides practical strategies and real-life advice to support financial empowerment. Thank you to Vantage West for being a Silver Sponsor of the CMSC series! KEEP OUR YOUTH SAFE In this July edition of Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities, we focus on practical ways to keep youth safe. Our panel of expert guest speakers includes: 👥 Amy Lantz, Speak Up Be Safe Coordinator, Childhelp 👥 Pete Plahmer, Trauma Outreach & Injury Prevention Coordinator, Banner University Medical Center 👥 Sergeant Jessina Janes & Deputy Elliott Lyle, Pima County Sheriff's Department Together, we discuss: Water Safety Tips for summer activities, Warning Signs of Abuse in sports and extracurricular settings, and Spatial Awareness and Personal Safety as youth return to school. 📚 Resources Shared During the Session: 🔹 Learn more about trauma and injury prevention at Banner UMC: https://surgery.arizona.edu/divisions-and-sections/trauma-surgical-critical-care-burns-and-acute-care-surgery/services/trauma 🔹 Explore Childhelp’s child abuse prevention education: https://www.childhelp.org/ 📞 National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 🔹 Learn about the Pima County Sheriff’s Department School Resource Officer (SRO) program and community services: https://www.pimasheriff.org/services/SRO 👉 We encourage you to check your own county’s sheriff department website to see what youth safety services are available in your area. KEEP OUR YOUTH SAFE In this September edition of Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities, we tackle a deeply important topic: Suicide Prevention—Supporting Youth Who Have Experienced Loss. We’re honored to welcome Jacob Meyer-Van Damme, Territory Director for Charlie Health, who partners with hospitals, schools, and community providers to expand access to care across Southern Arizona. Jacob will help answer tough but vital questions, including: ✨ How can youth cope with grief after losing someone to suicide? ✨ What unique challenges do they face, and what are the first steps to healing? ✨ What warning signs should parents and caregivers look for? ✨ How can community leaders help reduce stigma and build prevention through education? 📌 Resources: - National 24-Hour Crisis Hotlines: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 - National Substance Use and Disorder Issues Referral and Treatment Hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) - Charlie Health: www.charliehealth.com Admissions: 1 (866) 948-2178 - Arizona Statewide Crisis Hotline: 1-844-534-HOPE (4673) - Teen Lifeline: 602-248-TEEN (8336) NATIONAL RUNAWAY PREVENTION MONTH: SHOWING KINDNESS & GIVING SUPPORT In this November edition of Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities, we recognize National Runaway Prevention Month with a powerful conversation on how families, caregivers, and communities can better support youth who feel unseen, unheard, or overwhelmed. Our speaker, Kelly Tanner, AZYP’s Director of Youth Services, explores the emotional, social, and environmental factors that lead young people to consider running away—and what caring adults can do to help. 🧠 Key questions discussed: 🔹 How can adults show genuine, non-judgmental care to a young person who feels misunderstood? 🔹 What do teens who have run away wish they knew beforehand—especially with social media glamorizing escape? 🔹 What early warning signs do parents often miss or dismiss as “normal teen behavior”? 🔹 What myths about runaway and homeless youth prevent communities from stepping up with real support? 📚 Resources shared during the stream: 🔗 National Runaway Safeline: https://www.1800runaway.org/ 🔗 Teen Lifeline: https://teenlifeline.org/ Whether you’re a caregiver, educator, youth mentor, or community member, this session offers meaningful insight into how kindness, connection, and awareness can change a young person’s path. TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS: HELPING YOUTH ESTABLISH HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS While February’s Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities session isn’t available on video, we’ve created a helpful worksheet with the key topics and practical strategies to support youth in building healthy, respectful relationships. ✅ Download the worksheet here: ALCOHOL AWARENESS & REDUCING UNDERAGE DRINKING In this April edition we’re recognizing Alcohol Awareness Month with an important conversation on Reducing Underaged Drinking. Our featured speaker, Jessica Valadez, Prevention Specialist with the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC) Education and Prevention Unit, shares essential information for youth, parents/caregivers, and community members on preventing underage alcohol use and promoting safer environments. 🧠 Key questions discussed: 🔹 What are the biggest health and safety risks teens face when they drink underage, and how can they protect themselves? 🔹 What signs should parents look for if they suspect their teen might be drinking? 🔹 How can community members report suspicious activity—like adults buying alcohol for teens—without escalating tensions? 📌 Resources shared during the session: 📞 Report underage drinking: 1-877-668-5345 or 602-364-0079 📞 Report complaints (e.g. over-serving, violence at establishments): 602-542-9062 🌐 Learn more: azliquor.gov RUNAWAY & HOMELESSNESS YOUTH: UNDERSTANDING VARIED EXPERIENCES In this June edition we focus on the complex and diverse realities of runaway and homeless youth. Our featured speaker, Matt Finley, Prevention Specialist and Youth Services Planner with the Maricopa Association of Governments and the Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care, offers critical insight into the unique challenges facing youth experiencing homelessness, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+, live in rural communities, or have experience in the foster care system. 🧠 Key questions discussed: 🔹 What resources are available for homeless youth, especially LGBTQ+, rural, or foster care youth, and how can they access them? 🔹 How can marginalized youth identify and avoid discrimination when seeking help? 🔹 What role can community members play in providing safe, inclusive support for youth in crisis? 📌 Resources shared during the session: 📞 Teen Lifeline: 1-800-248-8336 📞 National Runaway Safeline: 1-800-786-2929 📞 Suicide and Crisis Line: 988 YOUTH FRIENDSHIP Join us for this session of Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities as we explore Youth Friendship: How social media influences youth's friendships. This important conversation highlights the ways social media impacts bullying prevention, online awareness, and the safety of young people navigating friendships in today’s digital world. We’re honored to be joined by Kacie Passamonte, Prevention Operations and Support Manager at Childhelp , who brings over 20 years of experience working with youth as an educator, advocate, and coach. Kacie helps lead child abuse prevention efforts through education, training, and curriculum development, and shares her deep understanding of the challenges youth face today. ✨ Together, we’ll discuss: How social media shapes youth friendships The risks and threats young people encounter online Practical strategies for parents, caregivers, and communities to support safe and healthy friendships 📘 Below are two helpful resource documents: How to report online harm or exploitation Getting help if online harm happens Learn more about Childhelp's Speak Up Be Safe here YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE: IT'S HAPPENING In this October edition of Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities session, we’re diving into an important topic — Youth Substance Use. Together, we explore what Arizona youth, parents, and schools can do to stay informed and proactive about emerging trends and prevention strategies. Here are some of the key questions discussed in this session: 1️⃣ How can youth handle peer pressure at school events or parties, especially with the rise of fentanyl-laced vapes? 2️⃣ How is social media fueling prescription pill misuse among youth — and what red flags should you watch for? 3️⃣ What steps should parents take if they see substance-related content or links online? 4️⃣ How can schools and youth organizations work with prevention partners to strengthen fentanyl education in Arizona? 📌 Resources: www.dea.gov/onepill www.saclaz.org/ www.azhidta.org/expert-resources MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE HOLIDAYS & SELF-CARE The holidays can be joyful, but they can also be overwhelming for youth and families. In this December edition of Connecting Minds, Strengthening Communities, Corytha Gastineau and Trish Ford are leading an important conversation on supporting mental well-being during a busy, emotionally loaded season. 🧠 They’ll be answering questions like: 🔹What are simple, no-cost ways youth can practice self-care when time and money are limited? 🔹Why is it important for parents to model self-care—and what does that look like when they’re exhausted too? 🔹If we want our community to feel mentally safer for youth and families, what’s one thing everyone can start doing today? Join us as we wrap up the year with tools, insight, and encouragement for a healthier holiday season. 📚 Resources shared during the stream: 🔗 www.thetrevorproject.org 🔗 www.charliehealth.com 🔗 Veterans Crisis Line 🔗 National Helpline for Mental Health, Drug, Alcohol Issues | SAMHSA 🔗 Mindfulness Exercise: Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) 🔗 Mindfulness Exercise: Vagus Nerve Reset National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (available 24 hours a day) 1-800-273-TALK (8255) [24/7 Hotline] 1-888-628-9454 (Spanish) 1-800-799-4889 (TTY) Text “MHFA” to 741741 Download AZYP's "How Are You Feeling Today?" Sheet Download the 988 Info Sheet Download the Mindful Moments Sheet

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2026 AZYP's Linking Actions for Healthy Mothers and Babies Program Draws Nationwide Praise at Premier Addiction Conference GLOBE, AZ — Arizona Youth Partnership (AZYP) is proud to announce its participation in the 2026 Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, held April 6-9, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. The annual summit is the nation’s premier gathering for stakeholders committed to addressing the opioid and addiction crisis – bringing together voices from federal agencies to advance evidence-based solutions in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement. About the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit The Rx and Illicit Drug Summit is where solutions are formulated, stakeholders from federal to family convene, and change begins. The Summit plays a vital role in addressing the ongoing addiction crisis by fostering collaboration across sectors and promoting evidence-based solutions – equipping attendees with the latest knowledge, tools and connections needed to drive meaningful change in their communities and organizations. AZYP Presents the LAHMB Program Julie Craig, Director of Community Impact at AZYP, and Charlene Becker, Senior Program Manager, co-presented on AZYP’s Linking Actions for Healthy Mothers and Babies (LAHMB) Program — a groundbreaking initiative designed to support pregnant mothers experiencing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in Gila County, Arizona. Julie Craig opened the presentation with a compelling overview of the opioid epidemic’s devastating toll on Arizona and Gila County specifically, citing sobering statistics on opioid-related deaths. She also provided an educational breakdown of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), explaining how these conditions affect newborns and the urgent need for targeted, compassionate intervention programs. Charlene Becker then detailed the LAHMB program’s holistic, wrap-around model of care. The program integrates healthy pregnancy and childbirth education classes with individualized case management and peer support — creating a judgment-free environment where mothers with SUD can find community, strength, and hope. The program’s guiding philosophy is to meet mothers where they are: helping them feel accepted, supported, and empowered in their journey through motherhood rather than isolated or stigmatized. “Our goal is to help these mothers feel accepted and supported,” said Charlene Becker. “We want them to be with peers and find solace in motherhood, rather than feeling shame or being singled out. Every mother deserves that dignity and belonging.” Program Impact and National Recognition To date, the LAHMB program has successfully connected 10 mothers with the critical resources needed to support themselves and their babies through withdrawal — a milestone that reflects the program’s life-changing potential in one of Arizona’s most rural and underserved counties. The presentation was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees and HRSA representatives present at the Summit. The response was so enthusiastic that multiple participants inquired about the possibility of expanding the LAHMB model to other counties across Arizona and replicating it in states throughout the country — a testament to the program’s transferable, evidence-informed design. “We are incredibly proud of what this program represents and what it has already accomplished for families in Gila County,” said Julie Craig. “The interest we received from HRSA and our fellow grantees was inspiring.” About Arizona Youth Partnership (AZYP) AZYP is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to building healthy, resilient youth. Through innovative evidence-based prevention programs and community driven initiatives like LAHMB program, AZYP empowers youth to harness their strengths to live healthy and purposeful lives. ###

Posted By: Mireya McPhee What is Love Notes? Love Notes Risk Avoidance Adaptation (SRA) is an Evidence-Based Program (EBP) that studies these matters through skill-building and knowledge to foster positive relationships in all forms (romantic, friendship, familial, educational, and professional). How Love Notes Applies to High Schoolers The high school years are crucial for making decisions. Love Notes empowers teenagers to safeguard their future. The Program Assists High Schoolers by: Setting Healthy Boundaries Understand the distinction between a healthy relationship and an unhealthy one. Selecting Partners Learn how to pick partners and friends who share similar visions and align with their long-term goals. Sexual Risk Avoidance Accentuate the value of excluding sexual behavior in youthful relationships, enabling them to concentrate on self-development and academic achievements. Trusted Connections Incorporates exercises which help in connecting the youth to their parents or other trusted individuals, initiating essential discussions on matters relating to life and romance. What’s Happening in the Classroom: A Look at the Lessons It starts by looking inward before looking at a partner. Students don’t just read a textbook. Instead, they engage in activities along with journal activities designed to reveal their own social patterns. Understanding Personality Colors: One of the most popular segments involves students discovering their own personality types. By identifying their traits, students can learn... Self-Awareness:  Why they react the way they do in stressful situations. Compatibility:  How to navigate a relationship with someone who has a completely different personality vibe. Empathy:  Recognizing that a friend or partner isn't being difficult -they just process information differently. Master Classes in Communication: In the how it applies phase, students move into the Evidence-Based Communication portion of the program. They move away from “you-statements" (which cause defensiveness) and learn the power of "I-statements." Specific skills taught include... The Speaker-Listener Technique:  A structured way to ensure both people feel heard without being interrupted. Conflict Management:  How to "time out" during an argument so a disagreement doesn't turn into a "red flag" situation. How High Schoolers Are Engaged If you were to walk into a classroom at Walden Grove or Sahuarita High School during a Love Notes session, you won’t see students staring blankly at a screen. You’ll see them engaged in real talk. High schoolers are leaning into this curriculum because it respects their autonomy. They aren't being told what to do - they are being taught how to think through their choices. Students are actively participating in shaping their own social and emotional intelligence. Testimonial After sitting through the lessons on healthy boundaries and the "Red Flags" of toxic behavior, a 9th-grade student realized that a relationship she was currently in didn't align with the values she was learning. A 9 th grade student at Sahuarita High School found the courage to end that toxic relationship because of what she learned in Love Notes. Kourtney Kazakos brought these lessons to life by creating a judgment-free zone where students feel safe enough to audit their own lives.