Getting to Y Replication in New Hampshire

By Mavis Downey, Thetford Academy Class of 2026

On January 23rd, I was driving down to Concord, New Hampshire from Vermont with my friend Hanaé, frantically going over my presentation notes and trying to remember which slides I was about to present. We had the privilege of helping facilitate the State-wide Kick Off Conference and Training Event for UP for Learning’s Getting to ‘Y’ (GTY) program in New Hampshire, hosted by Communities for Alcohol- and Drug-Free Youth (CADY) and sponsored by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. GTY empowers high school youth to engage directly with the data gathered from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and initiate the change they want to see in their communities. The YRBS focuses on teen mental health, substance use, and physical well-being. GTY allows us to take data gathered from our own school, and create actionable change, improving the lives of our peers and shaping healthier, more supportive school communities.

This event was the culmination of many years of hard work to create a statewide replication of Vermont’s successful GTY program in New Hampshire, led by CADY, with the goal of expanding the scope of our work in New Hampshire and involving 50 high school teams across the state. It was an incredible moment for all involved to see this vision come to life.

The kickoff event brought together over 100 educators and youth from all around New Hampshire, eager to learn how they could bring GTY into their own schools. I was joined by fellow youth facilitator Hanaé Debo (Thetford Academy class of 2025), Kate Merrigan, Program Director at UP for Learning, and Lindsey Halman, UP’s Executive Director. Together, we presented an overview of the program, how it works, and why it’s so important. 

One of the most impactful parts of the event was to hear from New Hampshire youth already involved with GTY (photo below). They shared their experiences and explained the positive impact the program had had on their communities. After the event, Kate reflected that “I was moved to see how deeply GTY has already taken root in some schools in New Hampshire and know that the enthusiasm of the young people carrying that work will help this effort grow statewide. What’s more, they’ll be using their experience and wisdom to help facilitate GTY trainings across the state in the next couple of months!” This was followed by a Q&A panel, where educators had the chance to ask questions and learn from these students. Afterward, we went through a mock training to give everyone a sense of what their future GTY teams will be doing. 

Reflecting on the day, my biggest takeaway was the renewed sense of hope and inspiration. Being surrounded by passionate, driven youth who are committed to improving their education was truly invigorating. The opportunity to co-facilitate this event was a reminder of just how powerful youth voices can be in shaping our education. GTY is a powerful tool that gives us the chance to be heard and witness this event firsthand, and reinforces my belief in the change that we can create when youth and adults work together. 

Note: Read about Thetford Academy’s 2023-2024 Getting to Y project on page 5 of the GTY Newsletter.