| ISLAND TEENS ADVOCACY TEAM ITAT NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2024 🍂 A Strong Start for Fall 🍂 September was a month full of impactful events and cultural enrichment for our ITAT students. Early in the month, we had a special Ava Ceremony at West Jordan High School, attended by Dr. J. Godfrey, Superintendent of the Jordan School District. His presence and wisdom left a lasting impression on the students. Our first outreach event of the year also took place with the Middle School students, where we introduced ITAT's mission and theme and engaged the students in practicing a song for the Multicultural Festival.We are excited to have the high school ITAT students interact with and teach the middle school students quarterly! Our students were also able to support The Soifua Foundation, which launched its USA-Based Scholarships program aimed at Pacific Islander students in Utah.There, ITAT students were able to learn about another educational resource and also share ITAT's platform. The highlight of the month was ITAT's participation in The Creative Pacific Fashion Week, where they were entrusted with performing the sacred Ava Ceremony for the event’s esteemed guests, including Miss Pacific Islands. It was a profound moment for our students to be chosen for such an important cultural practice. Additionally, they had the opportunity to join workshops at UVU, engaging with ambassadors from seven Pacific Island nations to learn about preserving cultural heritage. Follow our instagram @islandteenadvocacyteam for more content to learn from and share! While September was packed with cultural and educational events, we continue to emphasize the dangers of tobacco and vaping. According to the CDC, using tobacco and vape products can cause addiction, lung damage, and increased risk of heart disease. With Pacific Islander youth at a higher risk due to targeted marketing, it's more important than ever to raise awareness in our community. Our students have been strong advocates, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the upcoming months with more outreach and leadership training. Don’t forget to check out our Instagram, where we post weekly about healthy habits specifically for Pacific Islanders. Follow us to stay updated on tips, events, and ways to support our community in leading healthier lives. We are thrilled to see how these initiatives unfold throughout the school year and are confident that our ITAT students will continue to make waves in their schools and communities. Awesome update within vape/tobacco legislation: Teens can now use My Life My Quit, a confidential cessation resource, without parental consent, making it easier and more accessible for teens to quit smoking. Text "Start My Quit" to 36072 to get started! Check out our Instagram @islandteenadvocacyteam for more photos and videos from our activities this month, upcoming events, and resources! Tobacco Resources: MY LIFE MY QUIT: mylifemyquit.com is a new service available to teens, to assist them in quitting the highly addictive nicotine products that comprise the teen vaping epidemic. All they need to do is text "Start My Quit" 855-891-9989 to talk or text with a quit coach to cheer them on in their journey of quitting! You can always call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to get help on quitting! Visit Our Site Let's be buddies |
ISLAND TEENS ADVOCACY TEAM
ITAT NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2024
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🍂A Strong Start for Fall🍂 | |
September was a month full of impactful events and cultural enrichment for our ITAT students. Early in the month, we had a special Ava Ceremony at West Jordan High School, attended by Dr. J. Godfrey, Superintendent of the Jordan School District. His presence and wisdom left a lasting impression on the students.
Our first outreach event of the year also took place with the Middle School students, where we introduced ITAT's mission and theme and engaged the students in practicing a song for the Multicultural Festival.We are excited to have the high school ITAT students interact with and teach the middle school students quarterly!
Our students were also able to support The Soifua Foundation, which launched its USA-Based Scholarships program aimed at Pacific Islander students in Utah.There, ITAT students were able to learn about another educational resource and also share ITAT's platform.
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The highlight of the month was ITAT's participation in The Creative Pacific Fashion Week, where they were entrusted with performing the sacred Ava Ceremony for the event’s esteemed guests, including Miss Pacific Islands. It was a profound moment for our students to be chosen for such an important cultural practice. Additionally, they had the opportunity to join workshops at UVU, engaging with ambassadors from seven Pacific Island nations to learn about preserving cultural heritage.
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Follow our instagram @islandteenadvocacyteam for more content to learn from and share! | |
While September was packed with cultural and educational events, we continue to emphasize the dangers of tobacco and vaping. According to the CDC, using tobacco and vape products can cause addiction, lung damage, and increased risk of heart disease. With Pacific Islander youth at a higher risk due to targeted marketing, it's more important than ever to raise awareness in our community. Our students have been strong advocates, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the upcoming months with more outreach and leadership training.
Don’t forget to check out our Instagram, where we post weekly about healthy habits specifically for Pacific Islanders. Follow us to stay updated on tips, events, and ways to support our community in leading healthier lives. We are thrilled to see how these initiatives unfold throughout the school year and are confident that our ITAT students will continue to make waves in their schools and communities.
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Awesome update within vape/tobacco legislation: Teens can now use My Life My Quit, a confidential cessation resource, without parental consent, making it easier and more accessible for teens to quit smoking.
Text "Start My Quit" to 36072 to get started!
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Check out our Instagram @islandteenadvocacyteam for more photos and videos from our activities this month, upcoming events, and resources!
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Tobacco Resources:
MY LIFE MY QUIT: mylifemyquit.com is a new service available to teens, to assist them in quitting the highly addictive nicotine products that comprise the teen vaping epidemic. All they need to do is text "Start My Quit" 855-891-9989 to talk or text with a quit coach to cheer them on in their journey of quitting!
You can always call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to get help on quitting!
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