AmeriCorps Report: June, July, and Goodbye

7/7/2016

Well, all, it's with mixed emotions that I write this, my last TAC AmeriCorps report. My service term is up on July 15th, and I will soon be headed back to Wisconsin and graduate school. Here's what I've been up to lately:

TAll Cop Says Stop

Source: tallcopsaysstop.com

Back on June 15th, I had the opportunity to attend a training called High in Plain Sight. Sponsored by ESD 113/True North, Officer Jermaine Galloway talked about current trends in drug and alcohol logos, clothing, hats, etc., drug concealment methods and containers, drug paraphernalia (especially around marijuana concentrates and dabbing), synthetic and OTC drugs, and how technology is being used by youth around drugs. It was an incredibly informative training! I attended the training in Hoquiam, but the same training was offered in Naselle the next day as well. If you want more information about Jermaine Galloway and/or what he talks about, check out his website here: http://www.tallcopsaysstop.com/

Peer Helper Surveys- Results

I finished administering the Peer Helper Surveys to all North County 6th-11th grade students and compiled the results. The top five issues teens are facing as identified by the students are:

1. Gossip (337 students)
2. School-related Stress (323)
3. Bullying (305)
4. Drug and Alcohol Use (213)
5. Family Conflict (208)

We use these results to steer our Peer Helper Retreat, making sure we helping our teens address the issues they feel are most important for their peers.

Mediation Training

Also in June, I had the opportunity to attend a 40-hour basic mediation training sponsored by the Dispute Resolution Center and taught by the lovely Donna Hallock (also a TAC board member!). It was a very informative and applicable training and I really enjoyed using some skills I had learned in other contexts and applying them to the format of a mediation. I learned a lot about myself, as well, because we explored our own biases, privilege, and values.

Sustainability

A requirement of the AmeriCorps team, I have been putting together a "Sustainability Binder" for the next TAC/WCN AmeriCorps member who will start in September. It's been a lot of fun becuase I've been mentally revisiting all the work I've had the opportunity to do for TAC over the last ten and a half months- it's been a blast! Included in the binder will be: important contacts, descriptions of all my projects for TAC and WCN, login and other logistics-type information, and hopefully any other information someone will need to step into this role and hit the ground running.

So long, and thanks for all the fish

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Teen Advocacy Coalition, Willapa Community Network, Pacific County Resiliency Corps, and all the other lovely individuals and organizations in Pacific County that have provided me with opportunities for so much personal and professional development over the past ten and a half months. I have deeply appreciated and enjoyed my time serving and living here. Thank you all so very much!

All the best, and with much love,

Alyssa Grams

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