Youth to Youth

Summit County Youth to Youth (Y2Y), formerly Project PANDA, is Summit County’s longest running youth-led, adult guided prevention program. Our primary focus is empowering young people to make healthy decisions with regard to substance use, mental health, gambling, relationships, and violence through youth-centered approaches. Our program is supported by the Summit County ADM Board.

“Summit County Y2Y is a diverse group of youth creating change through educating and promoting healthy and drug-free decision making while providing a welcoming and accepting environment.” – Mission Statement formed collaboratively by the 2022-2023 Summit County Youth to Youth staff.

How it works:

Youth to Youth is a youth-led, adult-guided prevention program for 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. Y2Y engages students in their school at Y2Y Club meetings and exposes them to other positive decision makers throughout the county at a series of one-day and three-day camp experiences. A unique element of Youth to Youth is the Youth Staff, a group of high school students specially trained to encourage their peers to make healthy decisions. The youth staff work throughout the year to plan events and programming for Youth to Youth.

Youth to Youth Camps

At camp, students participate in a three-day overnight experience. They learn different life skills (leadership, resiliency, self-esteem building), drug education and how to have fun while being drug-free. Overnight camps are held three times per year (October and May), for 5th-8th grade students. After camp the students are responsible for taking some of the Y2Y Camp experience back to their schools and are encouraged to take an active role in spreading the drug-free message to their peers.

Visit www.summity2y.org for more information.

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