Preventing youth use of marijuana and alcohol in communities in 19703 and 19809 through evidence-based, community-driven strategies. - The Stronger Together Community Coalition, with More Than Fitness serving as fiscal agent, is a community-based initiative focused on preventing and reducing youth substance use in northern New Castle County, Delaware. The coalition serves the 19809 and 19703 ZIP codes. These communities experience high poverty, housing instability, limited access to mental health services, and a lack of structured after-school programming—factors that increase the risk of early alcohol and marijuana use among youth. Approximately 2,444 adolescents ages 12 to 18 live in the coalition’s service area and attend schools in the Brandywine School District. According to state survey data, 17 percent of 11th-grade students report recent use of both alcohol and marijuana, and fewer than half perceive marijuana use as harmful. Early initiation is also a concern, with 15 percent of fifth-grade students reporting lifetime alcohol use and 2 percent reporting marijuana use. These trends highlight the need for coordinated, community-level prevention efforts. Using the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) model, the coalition brings together representatives from all 12 required sectors. By July 2027, the coalition will strengthen collaboration by holding at least ten meetings with 75 percent attendance, maintaining engagement from all required sectors, and recruiting at least three new community partners focused on youth prevention. To reduce youth substance use, the coalition will create and distribute digital and print prevention materials to students, families, and school staff. Four youth will be trained to serve as peer leaders. The coalition will deliver free, evidence-based after-school programming for youth ages 12 to 18 focused on prevention, resilience, mindfulness, and refusal skills, and will provide transportation from two schools during the academic year to reduce participation barriers. Additional efforts include conducting in-school groups for students found in possession of alcohol or marijuana, running groups that address attendance, academic performance, and behaviors linked to substance use risk, hosting family skill-building workshops and community wellness events, organizing youth-led public education campaigns in local businesses and public spaces, and coordinating clean-up days in areas affected by substance-related litter. The coalition will also share local data with policymakers to inform prevention strategies, without using federal funds for lobbying These combined efforts are expected to increase youth perception of risk related to alcohol and marijuana use by 10 percent and reduce reported use by 5 percent, as measured through pre- and post-program surveys.
