LIVING THE EXAMPLE

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

South LA San Fernando Valley Antelope Valley County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) West LA City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The decline in young peoples' mental health, especially since the covid pandemic and most recently the wildfires in LA Country is alarming. Youth are unfortunately more and more depending on drugs and opioids to “self-medicate” when they don’t feel good, or when they feel that they cannot live up to the expectations set by society, parents, peers and for example via the influence of social media.The fentanyl crisis is also always to be taken in to account when we communicate about drugs and opioids.
Youth, in our experience, want to be part of a positive change, they want to engage and want positive platforms to communicate both their desires and challenges. In our understanding, if they are not heard or feel seen, they are likely will pursue negative and self-destructive behavior, to gain attention.
Mentor Foundation USA aim to empower, inspire, and improve youth’s mental health and preventing substance use by focusing on prevention, early intervention, and accessible services.

The “Living the Example” program include a successful video contest, that was created to provide adolescents and young adults (age 13-24) a platform to showcase healthy living, passions, hobbies, and achievements. In order to help detract from negative messages,
Mentor Foundation USA seeks to continue to provide a social media platform and contest for young people to inspire and encourage each other to “live the example.” Youth are asked to submit a short video showing how they are choosing healthy alternatives and are - living the example!
LTE targets high schools students to become LTE Youth Ambassadors. Youth Ambassadors are trained in Leadership, Advocacy and augmenting existing Social Media skills to become agents of change within their school and communities.
LTE Youth Ambassadors are expected to bring awareness to drug prevention and education. The projects aimed to engage, educate, and positively alter the attitudes around drugs and alcohol and other risky behaviors.

The aim is to make Los Angeles County a great example for and by LA youth, for what can positively be done and to help youth become empowered, healthy and stay drug-free. We hope that this positive messaging by youth - “Living the Example” - can set an example for other counties in California but also around the U.S. The Los Angeles youth themselves will be the ones setting this example, empowered to speak up and again - Living the Example - to demonstrate that positive change is possible!
MFUSA will create the platform, via the program and workshops and then show the youth's work via the LTE video contest. We aim to do a massive reach via social media, events, and hopefully traditional marketing and PR like interviews with the young winner and runner ups on local newscasts, in newspapers, billboards etc. in and around LA.
By the youth - living the example - in Los Angeles, the city and county, we hope, that LA also becomes part of this "movement" - LA is living the example!