Prevention Doesn’t Always Look Like Prevention: Sometimes It Looks Like a Campfire

Prevention can take many forms. This August, it looked like a group of local youth spending a night outdoors, trying new things, learning new skills, building connections, and making memories together.

During an overnight camping adventure, youth had the opportunity to kayak, fish, whittle, make music, explore the outdoors, and spend time around the campfire. Along the way, they learned new skills, helped one another, stepped outside their comfort zones, and experienced the simple joy of spending time outdoors with positive peers and supportive adults.

While these activities provided plenty of fun, they also created opportunities to develop important life skills. Youth practiced teamwork, communication, patience, problem-solving, and independence while building confidence and strengthening relationships.

Prevention is about more than educating young people about what to avoid. It is also about creating positive opportunities for them to build confidence, develop healthy interests, strengthen connections, and discover new talents. Sometimes that looks like learning to kayak, catching a fish, carving a piece of wood, making music, or sitting around a campfire sharing stories and laughter.

Positive experiences like these give young people opportunities to try something new, feel connected, and develop a sense of belonging. Live Well Kalkaska Substance Free Coalition continues to create these opportunities for youth and families, helping build a healthier, more connected community where everyone has the opportunity to live well.