Weber CTC
Youth Council
Nine members of the Weber CTC Youth Council had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and the surrounding area for the 34th Annual National Leadership Forum hosted by CADCA (Community-Based, Advocacy Focused, Data-Driven, Coalition-Building Association) to learn more about prevention science, coalition work, civic duties, and advocacy.

Front row left to right is: Sofie Hollis, Avery Kane, Maleah Shaner
Middle row left to right: Haylie Squire, Karlie Arnold, Lily Lutz, Maddy Smith, Madeline Robles, Tawnya Shaner
Back row left to right: Claria Gunderson, Kambree Mills, Jill Ramage
What the Youth Said
In reflecting on the experience, Claira Gunderson said, “CADCA is a wonderful organization that allows youth and leaders to gather and gain from professional leaders. Our coalition visited four of these meetings, my favorite being “HIGH-lights: The Sober Truth About Marijuana” by Lindsey Roberts and Yvonne Stroman. They spoke about how we can warn and educate our peers about the dangers and risk of marijuana. We also learned another lesson of persistence and payoff. We had the opportunity to see President Joe Biden take off in his helicopter; but only after a whole hour of waiting at the window of the red room.”
Maddy Smith also provided her insights, “Going to CADCA was a very fun experience! I learned a lot about how to resolve conflicts and how to communicate effectively with youth my age. On this trip we got to explore Washington DC, going through all the different museums and monuments. One experience that was particularly fun was zipping through the streets on electric scooters seeing all the monuments and freezing our hands off! Overall, this experience was an amazing time and was an awesome learning experience.”
Follow the youth council on social media @WeberCTCYouthCouncil
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