Algoma Public Health
Planet Youth
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What is Planet Youth?
Planet Youth is based on the Icelandic Prevention Model, a world-renowned approach to reduce alcohol and drug use among young people and improve their wellbeing. It shifts the focus from individuals to strengthening entire communities, and from short-term fixes to long-term sustainable solutions.
Planet Youth empowers communities to work together to address the root causes of early substance use. The approach aims to transform environments for children and youth, with a focus on strengthening protective factors and decreasing risk factors across the four intervention domains of the Icelandic Prevention Model: parents and family, school, peer group, and leisure time outside of school.
Once community-wide coalitions are established, the Planet Youth Guidance Program conducts student surveys at participating high schools, analyzes the data, and provides a detailed report back to each school and their community partners. The results highlight the key protective and risk factors unique to each neighbourhood or school catchment area, which then allow the community coalition to prioritize data-driven, evidence based interventions. Examples of multilevel programming implemented in Iceland range from parental agreements, funding for recreational activities, to changing laws to protect youth from substance use. Community goals and strategies commonly used in Planet Youth implementation in other communities are described here. Planet Youth has been implemented in a number of communities across Canada, including in Northern Ontario.
Using the Planet Youth approach, communities in Algoma can gain valuable insights into the health and wellbeing of young people, implement effective solutions, and track changes over time.
A shared commitment to Algoma's youth and how to help bring Planet Youth to Algoma
Algoma Public Health (APH) is proud to join the ranks of United Way’s funded partners – a group of Algoma organizations helping kids be all that they can be. Donations toward this UW fund will help support a range of Algoma children and youth initiatives, including APH and our school partners’ efforts to bring Planet Youth to Algoma.
Community members who wish to make a specific donation to sponsor the Planet Youth Algoma initiative or who are interested in supporting implementation as part of our growing community coalition, please email planetyouth@algomapublichealth.com. We are seeking $600,000 to fund the cost of the 5-year Planet Youth Guidance Program and we would love to hear from you!
If you are interested in being involved or learning more, please contact planetyouth@algomapublichealth.com.
In the news
Sootoday - Sault looks to Iceland for solutions to our opioid, public safety problems
Explores how the Icelandic Prevention Model is informing local conversations on prevention and community safety.
Read the article: Sault looks to Iceland for solutions to our opioid, public safety problems
Sootoday - Health unit seeks funding to bring Planet Youth to local schools
Highlights efforts to secure funding and build partnerships to implement Planet Youth in Algoma.
Read the article: Health unit seeks funding to bring Planet Youth to local schools