Sources of Strength & Other Programming: Building Resilient Youth in Dane County
Our voices have power. When so much seems out of our control, we still have the ability to reach out to one another and reflect back strength.
Sources of Strength
“Sources has given me a platform to share my strengths with other middle school students. I feel connected to our peer leaders and know that we can spread hope throughout our school.” –Dane County Middle School student Sources of Strength is a radically upstream wellness program that harnesses the power of peer networks to impact positive change in a community, whether that be a traditional school, recovery high school, community center, or a neighborhood! Many traditional youth prevention programs, especially suicide prevention and substance use prevention, focus on what not to do, what we want to stop (i.e., the tragic outcomes of suicide or overdose). Sources of Strength focuses on what gives us life – what helps us through hard times, what gives us hope, what makes us strong. In a Sources of Strength training, young people and adults share about the people, places, and things that give them strength. When asked to draw examples in a group poster activity, people fill their posters with pets, nature, sports, music, food, important mentors, volunteer activities, groups they participate in, and more. We talk about what it means to be a positive friend. We talk about chosen family. We acknowledge that, while stress is a normal part of life, sometimes stress can become so overwhelming that we might want to give up. So we also talk about what we can do to find extra support from a peer or trusted adult when it all becomes too much to carry alone. Students model resilience through projects that use their voice, their art, their music, and their creativity. These projects are called strategic messaging campaigns. They might look like interactive murals in a building, tiny mic interviews, or color runs, to name just a few examples. They all have one thing in common – they point people back to strength. “The campaigns have been wonderful ways for students to learn about their own strengths. We also have peer leaders that are connecting with trusted adults to help other students in need. -Dane County Middle School Advisor Safe Communities prioritizes best practice prevention programs and the lived experiences of young people who have dealt with hard things – different traumas, mental health challenges, substance misuse, suicide, and overdose. These young people flip the script on traditional prevention messaging. They shift focus away from sad, shock, and trauma filled messages to stories of hope, help, and strength. We’ve seen such vulnerability and authenticity from the students at schools and community centers we’ve been working with, and they’re truly modeling how to reach out to one another when they or their peers are struggling. One Dane County student shared, “It set the tone for me to be more comfortable in my skin and vulnerable, and to reach out to peers and staff when I need help.” –Director, Dane County High School
Stanford REACH Lab
In addition to this type of upstream programming, Safe Communities also promotes the Stanford REACH Lab’s Prevention and Intervention Curricula to schools and other youth-serving organizations throughout Madison and Dane County. The REACH Lab offers a variety of lessons on substance use, from primary prevention to harm reduction. All of their materials are available free online, and any staff can deliver the lessons. Safe Communities staff can also come into a class to present if requested. The evidence-based curricula and resources are created by educators, caregivers, and researchers and are aimed at preventing students’ use of tobacco and nicotine products, cannabis/marijuana, and other drugs including fentanyl, hallucinogens, opioids, and more. The Alternative to Suspension Program is geared for students who have been found using e-cigarettes or other tobacco products and/or for any students who are interested in trying to quit. You don’t have to use the curriculum to access the supplemental infographics, flyers, print-outs, and more. Check out those resources here.
Safe Communities’ Support
Safe Communities has been working with eight different institutions throughout Dane County the past couple of years and plans to expand programming by at least eight more in 2026! We want to hear from educators, caregivers, and, most importantly, young people themselves, about what’s working and what they like about these programs. We aim to be responsive to different needs and cultures, and Sources of Strength in particular can be adapted to all different types of communities and settings throughout Wisconsin. If you’re interested in learning more about how Safe Communities can support these programs, check out our schools and youth webpage or email Leah at lrolando@safecommunities.org.