Hey! I’m Jackson and I’m going into my Junior Year of High School. This is my 3rd year in Evolvement and 2nd year on the Leadership Team. Evolvement is a Youth-Led movement dedicated to stopping the sale and use of Nicotine and Tobacco to youth. The campaign I’ll be talking about is our 24/7 campaign, which works to keep schools 100% tobacco-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Recently I was given the opportunity to meet with my principal;

At my meeting, I talked about the issues my school faces in regard to students smoking and vaping. Students tend to “go to the bathroom” to smoke and vape, 9/10 times that I go to the restroom at school, there are students smoking and vaping there. I have had to leave my campus 3 different times to find a restroom that I can use. My principal and I talked about policy changes and how we can crack down on these issues. We agreed that by putting the 24/7 tobacco-free signs up and assigning security guards to restroom entrances, it could help with these issues.

My principal was very understanding and wanted to help resolve this issue. With his support of our campaign we can continue to work toward our goal of making schools 100% tobacco free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It was important to meet with my principal because he is in charge of the majority of issues at our school and can provide resources when needed. By using our signs it spreads awareness of our campaign. By attending this meeting, I learned that my voice can be used to advocate for not just my needs, but my peers’ needs too.

1. Blog
2. Using My Voice: Partnering with My Principal to Keep Schools Nicotine-Free