Just in time for the start of the 2023-24 academic year, the Whitehall-Coplay Communities That Care coalition discussed the importance of maintaining evidence-based prevention programming in Whitehall-Coplay School District at the Aug. 25 meeting.

Denise Continenza, Penn State Extension educator and CTC coordinator, noted WCSD has had seamless prevention programming throughout the district schools, from elementary to high school. She said there was discussion of discontinuing one of the programs the district has been using, adding the importance of finding a program that is the right fit for the district.

“I don’t want to lose sight of high-quality prevention programming,” she noted.

She said she will try to arrange a meeting with administrators.

In other business, the coalition discussed the short-term goals for each of the three committees and started considering strategies to help move them along.

The mental health and wellness committee’s goal is to see a reduction in the number of 12th-graders who reported considering suicide in the past year in the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey, compared to the 29% of 10th-graders who reported considering suicide in the 2021 PAYS. Since the PAYS is administered every two years, the committee wants to look at the same cohort of students.

Possible strategies are increasing membership in the district’s Aevidum Clubs and creating short PSA videos of students talking about their concerns and emphasizing that it is OK to ask for help. These messages could be played on digital scoreboards or during homerooms.

The substance use prevention committee wants to see only a 2% increase in vaping use in the 2023 PAYS. The committee members are expecting there to be an increase due to the popularity of vaping and current trends. However, they are hoping to increase education about the dangers to keep the increase relatively small.

The low commitment to school committee is seeking to have more students involved in clubs and activities. One strategy is to implement a survey at the start of the year to gauge interest in current clubs and identify gaps in club offerings.

Whitehall-Coplay School Board President William Fonzone said the number of students taking part in athletics is high this year, which is a good start. He also noted the district is working through the logistics of possibly adding an activity period at the high school in the future.

Leanne Debrosse, of Valley Youth House, noted the middle school had a high level of participation in a few of their clubs last year, including the SADD/STARS Club and the Tobacco Resistance Unit.

She noted many parents questioned why the tobacco group was needed at the middle school. These parents/guardians were unaware of the prevalence of vaping within the schools, particularly in the middle school, emphasizing the need for additional education for students, parents and the community.

At the end of the meeting, CTC members took yard signs depicting positive PAYS data points to place throughout both Whitehall Township and Coplay Borough. These signs will help spread awareness about the CTC and its efforts in the district, as well as showcase positive things about the community’s youth.

The next Whitehall-Coplay CTC meeting will be held 9 a.m. Sept. 29 in the LGI room at Whitehall High School, 3800 Mechanicsville Road.