by Stacy Falk

Although he’s ran from the cops more times than he would like to admit, one Durango 18-year-old said he knows where to draw the line. He also acquired a fake ID when he was 17 and said he hasn’t had much trouble getting into bars or buying booze.

“My grades are good and I am involved in sports and extracurricular activities, but it’s also just fun to let loose and have a good time,” said the recent high school graduate, who asked to remain anonymous.

However, too much of a good time can lead to problems down the road. According to researchers in a report by EdNews Colorado, a nonprofit news service that covers education and the state Legislature, the more often teens use, the more reckless their behavior becomes. Regular drug and alcohol use puts them at greater risk for dropping out of school, risky sexual behaviors, addiction, mental illness or accidents, the leading cause of death for adolescents.

However, rebellious behavior involving drugs and alcohol among kids in grades 6-12 may actually be on the decline, based on a recent Healthy Kids Colorado report. According to the biannual state-funded study that surveys more than 60,000 Colorado students on risky behaviors, those who had tried alcohol at least once dropped from 76 percent to 65.5 percent from 2005-11. Likewise, binge drinking (five or more drinks within a few hours) dropped from 47 percent to 36 percent in the same time. Pot use also saw a drop in use, albeit slimmer, from 42 percent reporting trying the drug at least once in 2005, to 39 percent in 2011.

For Cathy Cowles, executive director of the Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Partners (RSAPP), these statistics are welcome news. Cowles, who has served behind the scenes as RSAPP’s only full-time, paid employee for the past three years, is responsible for bringing in thousands of dollars and organizing numerous resources for Montezuma, Dolores, San Juan, Archuleta and La Plata counties as well as Fort Lewis College.
“Helping people reach their maximum potential is what drives me,” said Cowles, whose background in education, program management, grant writing and small business ownership has brought RSAPP statewide recognition.

However, Cowles says this success wouldn’t be possible without AmeriCorps members, who facilitate substance-abuse prevention programs throughout the region. “It’s all about community-based solutions,” Cowles said. “I really like the AmeriCorps motto: Getting things done.”

In addition to individual and corporate contributions, RSAPP receives funding through federal grants, according to Cowles. These grants are spread to participating partners such as Southwest Conservation Corp, Southern Ute Community Action Programs, Durango Adult Education Center, local school districts and more.

There are three main goals that RSAPP instills in its AmeriCorps leaders: Decrease youth substance abuse, primarily alcohol abuse at the middle and high school age;  promote good choices by increasing youth engagement in school, sports, arts and other organized activities; and increase family engagement by working within the community.

Julia Danjou, an AmeriCorps member serving as the Silverton Youth Center coordinator, takes her role to heart. “I absolutely love it,” she said. “Since my involvement I’ve found that I am more a part of the community than I ever have been. I am much more in tune into what’s being done for the kids in our rural town.”

One project Danjou has used to engage Silverton youth is the Hilltop Cemetery clean-up. Danjou explained how, during a recent trip, the kids became interested in the fate of two young brothers, Brice and Robert Patterson, who were buried there in the early 1900s.

The kids decided to turn their interest in the headstones into a history project and eventually found living relatives of the boys in Pagosa Springs. These relatives were invited to town to lead a discussion about the family’s pioneering history in Silverton and visit the graves. “The kids are always asking ‘when can we go to the cemetery?’” Danjou said. “They get so excited and it’s a great example of how involved they are.”

 And that’s only the beginning. The kids decided that the Pattersons deserved proper tombstones and began raising money to buy them. Their fund-raising efforts were hugely successful and there has been an additional 20 headstones purchased for the cemetery. The kids plan on “adopting” at least one grave a year from here on out.

With all the events that Danjou says she is constantly getting kids involved in, it’s like there’s no time for substance abuse. “A lot of the kids are very straight, and the majority don’t drink or smoke.”

As Danjou begins her third year with the program she is far from daunted by the tasks and responsibilities to come. “I don’t feel like it’s a challenge, rather a privilege,” Danjou said. “I wish there was more time in the day to do what I do.”

Like Danjou in Silverton, Kristy Chadd agrees that the biggest challenge working with AmeriCorps is that there’s just not enough time to do what needs to be done.

In Dove Creek, Chadd, who is starting her third year serving for AmeriCorps, is a volunteer for Students Taking Action Against Underage Drinking, simply referred to as “STUD.”

The unique thing about STUD, said Chadd, is that it’s a program entirely designed and implemented by the students, and those involved are paid a stipend of $8 an hour for their efforts.

By allowing the kids to take charge of the decision-making process – everything from choosing dates of events, activities and fund raisers – Chadd says everyone is much more invested in the outcome. For this reason, activities such as family fun nights have been very successful, she says.

STUD, which is in it’s sixth year, has not only made a significant impact on alcohol-abuse prevention, but has opened the door to the expansion of other programs such as Kick Butts, a campaign to battle tobacco use.

“These programs really have blossomed,” said Chadd. “They’ve definitely made an impact and are actually keeping kids out of trouble.”

The small community of Dove Creek is home to about 260 students between pre-school and 12th grade. Chadd said she believes well more than 85 percent of these kids are avoiding drugs and alcohol, which, based on feedback from local families, is an improvement. “We’re making a difference in these kids’ lives, and you can’t put a price on that,” she said.

Chadd said that without the support and training provided by RSAPP, things just wouldn’t be the same.

“The best part about RSAPP is that it doesn’t have a one-sided model, it looks at each community individually,” she said.

The number of AmeriCorps members via RSAPP has steadily increased over the past four years with 12 members this year and 16 available positions for the 2012-13 season. RSAPP is currently accepting applications for a variety of positions. For more information about the available positions visit www.rsapp.org