Arkansas Youth Honored for National Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids Award - October 2nd, 2009
Fifteen-year-old Parkview High School Student Josilyn Mitchell is a member of the Arkansas Youth Leadership Initiative Program (YLI). Josilyn was recently recognized as a finalist in the National Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids 2009 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards. The award honors top youth across the country who have fought hard to promote tobacco prevention legislation in their home states, to reduce tobacco marketing to kids in their communities and to stop their peers from using tobacco. Josilyn was the only finalist named from the state of Arkansas and Southern region.
“I think being a teenager you have a bigger voice with youth rather than just adults,” said Josilyn. “I got involved because I wanted to make a change in the youth atmosphere. As a finalist for this award, it was an honor to collaborate with other youth advocates from across the nation.”
As a finalist, Josilyn traveled on an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for a Youth Advocacy Symposium. Student delegates visited with members of congress and thanked them for supporting the historic U. S. Federal Drug Administration passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
Josilyn has been actively involved in YLI for three years. YLI goals are in sync with Stamp Out Smoking’s overall objective of reducing youth access to tobacco and consumption of tobacco-related products. YLI efforts include recruitment and peer-to-peer training through Team YES Speaks regional summits. Josilyn and the YLI work closely with Katherine Donald, executive director of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas, to conduct committee presentations and letter writing campaigns for smoke-free parks, smoke-free vehicle legislation and cigarette tax increases. During the Arkansas Say Yes Leadership Conference, Josilyn was awarded the 2008-2009 Tobacco Control Youth Board Youth Advocate of the Year Award and First Place Poster Session Award. She also received these prestigious awards and stipends for 2007-2008 grant year.
For more information on Arkansas’ youth advocacy efforts, visit www.yesteam.org.
