We are so proud of the families and community in Mount Baker! We know wonderful things and want to “Shout them Out!"

More than 7 out of 10 Mount Baker High School Students say their families have clear rules about alcohol and drug use! In fact, 93.9% of 8th graders, 82.1% of 10th graders, and 72.2% of 12th graders said their families have clear rules about alcohol and drug use in the 2018 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey.

More than 7 out of 10 Mount Baker High School Students know they have Trusted Adults in their community! When 8th, 10th, and 12th graders were asked it there are adults in their neighborhood or community they could talk to about something important, between 72-79% said they do have adults they could go to. Research tells us that having just one trusted adult lowers risk for youth. We are so glad most students have someone they can go to outside of their home, if they need to talk about important issues. We also recognize there are some youth who do not know who could be a Trusted Adult in hard times. We want ALL youth to have at least one Trusted Adult! If you have youth in your life, we invite you to learn how to be a Trusted Adult. Visit madhope.org/trusted-adult. We Are Baker Strong!

We launched our first ever Positive Social Norms Campaign: We Are Baker Strong! in the Spring/Summer of 2020: The campaign uses data from the 2018 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) (conducted by WA Department of Health (DOH)) & the 2019 Community Perceptions of Youth Substance Use Survey (conducted by WA HCA/DBHR), to highlight healthy behaviors already happening in community. Messages were selected by youth and parents and tested in focus groups of middle and high school students and adults.

Furthermore, messages focus on life choices practiced by the majority of local youth & families. However, the community as a whole can be unaware of facts. Research tells us it is common for communities to have misconceptions about choices their fellow community members are making. Ensuring accurate perception is powerful. It is most powerful to focus on positive behavior that is “normal” or “most common” possible solutions & what we can create together.

One assumption in community can be that youth think it is okay for friends to consume alcohol and use substances, yet the HYS shows us that across grades 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th, 82% or more of students actually think it’s wrong for someone their age to use. This shows a misunderstanding in community about youth and their relationship with alcohol and substances. The main goals of our campaign are to eliminate these misconceptions and substitute them with the positive facts that inspire individuals to act in healthy ways. To see all of our messages, learn more about why these are important, and/or order a banner/yard sign visit wfcn.org/WeAreBakerStrong.

Between July and November, campaign yard signs and banners were posted at schools, businesses and on private property. Our hope is this campaign will nurture a community that is more connected, takes pride in one another, and believes in the integrity and capacity of our youth. Our goal aims at a strong, positive culture that enables youth to thrive.

Mount Baker SD #507