What is Planet Youth Timiskaming?
Planet Youth Timiskaming is based on the Icelandic Prevention Model, a proven approach to reduce alcohol, tobacco and drug use among young people and improve their wellbeing.
Planet Youth empowers communities to work together to address the root causes of early substance use. The model’s whole population approach aims to reduce the ‘risk factors’ that increase the likelihood of early substance use, and most importantly, to strengthen the ‘protective factors’ that can prevent it.
Planet Youth Timiskaming began in November 2023 with a survey of all grade 10 and 11 students. The next step is to share what we’ve learned and to work together to make our communities even healthier places to live and grow!
4 Steps
Planet Youth helps communities identify youth-related issues in real time with local data, and then work together as a community to address them.
1. Collect Data
In the first step, youth complete surveys to help us understand the local situation. Planet Youth reviews the numbers and shares a report that highlights the risk and protective factors (things that make it more or less likely for someone to make healthy choices) that local youth experience.2. Set Goals
In step 2, community members and local agencies come together to create a Local Action Plan based on the survey results and community feedback.3. Take Action
Step 3 is to take action! Prevention activities focus on strengthening protective factors and reducing risk factors within the four environments where children and teens spend the most time: with family, friends, at school and free time.4. Reflect and Repeat
Step 4 is the opportunity to reflect on the process and improve for the next round. Steps 1-4 are repeated every two years.How did it originate?
The Planet Youth approach was developed in the 1990s in Iceland. At the time, Iceland had some of the highest rates of teen substance use in all of Europe. It was clear that traditional prevention methods, focused on teaching students about the risks of drinking and drugs, were not working.
Today, Iceland’s youth substance use rates are among the best in the world.
Their new approach emphasized getting all relevant partners to the table to build a network of support, monitoring, and opportunities for positive youth development at the local community level.
5 Guiding Principles
Society is the Patient
Applies a primary prevention approach that is designed to enhance the social environment in communities over time. Youth outcomes are a direct reflection of the environments they live and grow in.
Builds Capacity for Leadership and Problem-Solving
Integrate researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and community members into a unified team dedicated to solving complex, real-world problems.
Meaningful Connection is a Treatment
Enhances connection between children and their families, peers, schools, communities, and adults. Schools are embraced as the natural hub of neighbourhood efforts to support child and adolescent health, learning, and life success.
Match the Scope of the Solution to the Scope of the Problem
Encourages authentic assessment of the problem and the solution. It’s important to remember this effort calls for realistic timeframes, a long-term commitment and funding.
Sustained Attention as a Treatment
Engages and empowers community members to make practical designs using local, high-quality, accessible data and diagnostics.
Global Efforts
Planet Youth Timiskaming is part of a global network whose aim is to create healthy communities that support young people to live their best lives. As of 2024, Planet Youth is actively running in over 200 communities in 16 countries, including Canada. Each community implements the Planet Youth framework using the same methodology, but uses its own information from surveys of local youth and takes action that is determined by the community. Just as Planet Youth in Ireland will look different than Planet Youth in Argentina, the prevention activities implemented in Kirkland Lake may look different than the interventions implemented in Englehart, Temiskaming Shores, or Cobalt!
See what our friends are up to: Lanark County | Timmins | Calgary | New Brunswick | Idaho | Iceland |Ireland
