Y Street Greatness

Hello, Everyone! My name is Tanaeya and I am a senior at Hopewell High School. I have been in Y Street for three years, and on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT) for two years.

At the YSLT Mid-Year Summit that was held in January, I was able to do something I never expected to do: train other youth leaders. Since this is my second year on the YSLT, my job was to inform everyone about the Rev Your Bev campaign. I was excited to do this because I have personally been involved in past Rev Your Bev activities and this is my favorite campaign! I was able to teach my peers about the importance of increasing water access in their schools and educating school administrators about the campaign’s policy. I was very excited to see such great participation and positivity and amazed by the feedback everyone shared.

My favorite part of all was the Networking Session. It was very interactive and engaging! I felt that I was able to actually get to know everyone. It was awesome to be able to give new leadership team members advice about future Y Street events, encouraging them to participate as much as they want.

My goals for Y Street this year are to be more active than I was last year, bond more with fellow members, and do more key decision-maker (KDM) and legislator meetings. The KDM and legislator meetings I have participated in so far were great, and I would love to gain more experience. Last year, unfortunately, I was very busy and I didn’t get to participate as much as I wanted to. Since this is my senior year, I have to make the best of the last.

It’s not too late to join! Go NOW to ystreet.org to get trained and join the #YStreetMovement.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

The Y Street Experience

Hi there! My name is Victoria and I am a junior at Granby High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now and on the Leadership Team for one year. Today I’m here to share why Y Street is important to me and why I love being a part of this impactful, inspiring group of individuals.

Here at Y Street, we care about the health of Virginia youth. Through our two campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, we are working to reach our goal of creating healthy change in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Rev Your Bev campaign aims to increase the promotion of and access to water in Virginia schools. The Share The Air campaign is working to make outdoor recreational areas tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free.

Our campaigns here at Y Street are important to me because the health and well-being of my peers and community is something that I place great importance upon. Through these campaigns, our voices as a youth-led organization are helping to improve the overall health of Virginia youth. From my efforts, such as being on the Leadership Team and representing my school or speaking with key decision-makers, I hope to be a part of that change in educating others on these important issues.

If you’re interested in joining Y Street, go NOW to ystreet.org.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

Y Street Training and My Goals

Hello, my name is Alena and I am in 10th grade. I go to Manor High School and this is my first year in Y Street. Before becoming a member, we are trained on Y Street. The most amazing thing I learned about Y Street is that the program has many achievements. It is an award-winning volunteer initiative and has been recognized in the CDC’s Best Practices User Guide for Youth Engagement in Tobacco Prevention and Control!

We were also trained on Y Street’s campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air. The Rev Your Bev campaign helps kids and adults make water their first choice of a beverage. The Share The Air campaign advocates for outdoor public areas across Virginia to be tobacco-free, smoke-free, and vapor-free. What I enjoyed most about the training was learning about all the cool things that we can do to educate our communities about the campaigns like hosting a Rev Your Bev event during lunch to tell people about the goals of the campaign and ask them to complete a survey while disseminating fun Rev Your Bev swag.

Now that I’m a fully activated Y Street member, I’m excited to host events to collect as many Rev Your Bev and Share The Air surveys and support cards as possible. I also am looking forward to earning volunteer hours and rewards.

Are you interested in joining? Go NOW to my.ystreet.org/apply to join the #YStreetMovement.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

Virginia Youth Making Their State Healthier

Oh hey there! My name is Mariz and I’m a junior Tiger at J.R. Tucker High School. This is my first year with Y Street and it’s already enjoyable. Y Street is a youth-led movement that is working to make Virginia healthier for all of us. Becoming a member has lots of great opportunities, one of them is the training, which was my favorite.

Through online modules, we learn about the program’s current campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, and how to be an effective advocate. Then comes the part where we apply what we have learned by asking friends and family to complete the campaigns’ surveys and support cards. This helps us to practice what we are going to do once we become an official member.

One of the facts that I found interesting about Y Street is that we have members across Virginia helping to raise public awareness about the campaigns and encouraging more youth to join the movement. This is what I’m most excited about: to spread campaign awareness in my school and community!

My goal as a fully active member of Y Street is to help increase water access in all Virginia schools and protect Virginians and our outdoor public spaces from secondhand smoke and vape aerosol, the two most important reasons that keep us alive.

Interested in joining? Go NOW to my.ystreet.org/apply to get trained and join the #YStreetMovement.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

WHY I CHOSE Y STREET

Hello to all our readers! My name is Nileigha. I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School, and this is my first year being part of Y Street. Though I have not been a part of the program for very long, I assure you I have learned so much in such a short amount of time and would love to share my experience.

I found out about this program when a Y Street Youth Field Organizer (YFO) came to Manor and did a presentation about what it entailed. I knew very quickly that I wanted to be a part of the program. Once I signed up, training started pretty quickly. It started with a Training Kick-off on Zoom that provided more information about the program such as scholarships and rewards offered, how to set goals, and current opportunities. I was also introduced to the Y Street member website – which helps me set and keep track of my goals, get in contact with the YFOs, and easily stay informed about upcoming opportunities. This site really helps me stay organized. Training also included collecting Share The Air and Rev Your Bev surveys. I collected so many just from asking friends and family. Once I completed the modules and training project I was officially a Y Street member and attended a Welcome session with my other Y Street peers. I got my account set up on ystreet.org and was ready to begin my Y Street journey.

What I enjoyed most about the training was that it was not only quick and easy but it was also very detailed; I didn’t feel rushed at all. During the process, I also learned so much more about the program and its campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, and what it all represents. Share The Air advocates for smoke-free, vapor-free, and tobacco-free outdoor spaces. I really appreciated and connected with the campaign because I have family members that have asthma and secondhand smoke is a trigger for asthma. Rev Your Bev encourages students to drink water. As a person that did not enjoy drinking water, this campaign taught me the benefits of drinking water and provided enjoyable tips to help me make it a habit, which I can’t wait to share with others.

I am really happy with my decision to be a part of this program and can’t wait to get more active in my community. I want to participate in community events and get as many other friends involved as I can.

Interested in joining Y Street? Go NOW to ystreet.org!

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

Influencing Key Decision-Makers Costs Nothing but a Smile!

Hello, my name is Jessica. I’m a junior from Manor High School, and this is my first year in Y Street and my first year on the Leadership Team. Each year in January is Healthy Youth Day. Team members meet with their state legislators to share the important work that Y Street is doing to promote a healthier Virginia. This year, I met with three of my representatives to discuss our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, and I would like to share my experience with you all!

My experience was memorable, heartwarming, and inspiring! Initially, I was nervous since I thought I would be alone. However, I was accompanied by my Youth Field Organizer (Daniel), another Leadership Team member from Greensville County (Felecia), and a representative from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. They all were incredibly supportive. Rather than a presentation, these meetings felt like conversations with equals who care about your input. In meeting with Senator Lucas, Senator Cosgrove, and Delegate Scott I was delighted by their welcoming and positive personalities, and I found common ground with each of them.

I will never forget this experience, and I encourage other Y Street members to participate in key decision-maker meetings; you will have no regrets later on. These meetings are important because we, as a youth-led group, are not only given the opportunity to improve our public speaking skills but influence change within our communities.

To learn more about Y Street, head to ystreet.org.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

Becoming a Member of Y Street

Hello, my name is Nautica. I am a senior at Granby High School, and I’ve been a part of Y Street for two years. The first thing I did when I became interested in becoming a member was attend a Training Kickoff. It was a nice introduction to what Y Street is about and how to become an activated member. Becoming a member entails completing an online training and training project. The online training teaches us about the campaign issues and goals we seek to accomplish and provides us with the opportunity to practice what we have learned. The training project involved me asking friends and family to fill out support cards for the Rev Your Bev and Share The Air campaigns. After that, I officially became a member and I was able to attend the Welcome Session.

I really liked how interactive the online modules were! The modules were not just paragraphs of information, but rather they included images and diagrams that made the training enjoyable for a visual learner like I am. While completing the modules, I learned that Y Street’s 24/7 VA campaign played a huge role in the passing of the 100% Comprehensive Tobacco-Free and E-Cigarette-Free Schools bill. This achievement made me realize the capability and potential of youth in Virginia.

Now that I am a member of Y Street I am excited to be a small part of a large youth-led movement! This year, I hope to attend events to raise awareness about Share The Air and Rev Your Bev.

Interested in joining? Go NOW to ystreet.org to get trained and join the #YStreetMovement!

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

Y Street Leadership Team Mid-Year Summit

Hi, my name is Braden (Brady) and I am a 9th-grade student at Charlottesville High School. This is my first year with Y Street as well as my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT).

Before joining Y Street, I was not very involved in the community, but when my Y Street Youth Field Organizer came and talked to my school about the opportunity to join this youth movement, it caught my eye. Being a part of Y Street gives me the opportunity to make a positive change in my community. I am finally on the front lines working with other youth leaders across Virginia to make an impact in people’s lives. Y Street has given me the platform to affect real change. The program also makes it easy to gain the skills needed to make a plan for me like going to college.

The YSLT Mid-Year summit held in January was amazing. I was able to make new friendships. We engaged in fun activities like icebreakers and scavenger hunts while learning important leadership skills and how to educate Key Decision Makers (KDMs). We also interacted with and asked questions to the current leadership team members and participated in fun games with them, which made it feel more welcoming. These sessions helped me gain the knowledge to go and affect the change I want to make. The Y Street staff also sent out a gracious amount of healthy, delicious foods and beverages in a Summit Kit which came with very cool clothes like a sweater, which I have worn and got many compliments on.

Now that I am a part of the Leadership Team, I hope to learn much more about my community and help make the change they want to see happen. One day, I want to make a career out of politics whether being in the legislative branch or executive branch. I want my lifestyle and career to be about making a difference in people’s lives.

To learn more about Y Street, visit ystreet.org.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

Why YOU should join Y Street!

Hello! I’m Max, a member of the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I am a junior at Charlottesville High School and joined Y Street two years ago. I have since joined the Leadership Team, which I have been a part of for 1 year. I am writing this blog to talk about why you should join Y Street!

Y Street is a youth-led movement that works to create a healthier Virginia through our campaigns. The first campaign is Share The Air, which advocates for 100% tobacco-free and e-cigarette free outdoor public spaces. The second campaign is Rev Your Bev that aims to increase students’ water consumption. Y Street members use several different strategies to raise awareness and achieve campaign goals. For example, members all over Virginia host events at their schools to promote Rev Your Bev. We ask attendees to complete surveys and give out cool prizes, as well as share information about what Rev Your Bev is all about: increasing water access and promotion in Virginia schools. If you join Y Street you can participate in these amazing activities too! But wait, there’s more.

Y Street offers points for completing campaign activities that are completely optional. By amassing points, you can earn some spectacular rewards like gift cards, AirPods, or even a MacBook!! Overall, Y Street is an extremely inclusive program that has some really important goals, and great ways of achieving them. If you are looking for volunteer hours, Y Street tracks them, which makes that whole process incredibly easy. I have gained so many important skills such as public speaking, and have met so many amazing people. If you are interested in joining go to ystreet.org.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]

My Training Experience With Y Street (and why I highly recommend it!)

Hello! My name is Ayla, and I am a freshman at King George High School. This is my first year with Y Street and it has been a great experience so far. I first heard about Y Street from my morning announcements, and I became instantly interested. Y Street is a youth-led organization where high schoolers come together and help to make Virginia a healthier place.

The moment I stepped in the door at the welcome session held at my school Zoe, a Y Street Youth Field Organizer (YFO), welcomed me warmly. I immediately felt like I was in the right place and I was appreciated for being there. Zoe discussed the mission of Y Street and how to become a part of it. She was super fun, interactive, and kind. I left the session with a huge smile and the determination to join and help out in my school and community.

My training for Y Street started with a Training Kick-Off session where I learned more about the program. My next steps involved training with Y Street’s easy-to-use, interactive training modules, and a training project where I got to collect surveys on Y Street’s two campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air. At last, I was a member of Y Street and could start helping right away! I went to another quick zoom welcome meeting where I further learned about how to set up and use my volunteer account on their website. I enjoyed how welcoming everyone was during this session because it helped me feel a part of the team. The whole training process was fun. I never lost interest while doing it, and I really enjoyed the chance to learn more about issues in our community. One of the most interesting things that I learned during training for the Share The Air campaign, which focuses on creating clean and healthy outdoor spaces, was that tobacco products are the most littered item in the nation, consisting of 40% of all litter. I also learned about the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure. For Y Street’s other campaign, Rev Your Bev, I found out how important drinking water is and the impact of having too many sugary drinks. All of these facts really interested me and drove me to want to take action.

Now that I am a fully activated Y Street member, I am most excited about creating meaningful change through fun opportunities like helping to run booths, organizing school events, and presenting to decision-makers. I want to be involved in as many projects and opportunities offered by Y Street as I can.

I highly recommend joining Y Street as it is a great experience with many benefits. Interested in joining? It’s not too late. Go NOW to my.ystreet.org/apply to get trained and join the #YStreetMovement.

More Blogs

A Terrific Tabling Event

Hi everyone! My name is Amber, and I am in the 10th grade at Manor High School in Portsmouth. This is my first year as a member of Y Street, and it has been an absolutely incredible experience. One of the most amazing things I have participated in was our Rev Your Bev event that […]

Turning the Table with Rev Your Bev

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a junior at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT). I have participated in multiple opportunities for our campaigns, Rev Your Bev and Share The Air, that have provided […]

My Rev Your Bev Experience

Hey! My name is Kevin. I’m a sophomore at Page County High School. This is my first year in Y Street, and so far I’m enjoying it. Recently, some other members and I helped host a Rev Your Bev event at our school and it was a lot of fun. The event took place during […]

Teamwork

Hello! Our names are Vivian and Ayla, and we are 9th graders at King George High School. This is our first year in Y Street. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to meet virtually with Delegate Margaret Ransone to discuss Y Street’s campaigns and goals. We first heard about the opportunity to meet with Delegate […]

My Y Street Training Experience

Hey! My name is Daniela and I am a sophomore at J.R. Tucker High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now. This year, as a returning member, participating in the training was straightforward and educational. The training consisted of four online modules. These modules included information about our campaigns, […]

Brunswick High School Hydrating Youth

Hi, fellow Y Street members! My name is Jaila. I attend Brunswick High School and I am in the 12th grade. I am honored to write about Brunswick’s SECOND Rev Your Bev event this year featuring Russell Middle School! Taking this event to the middle school was a great opportunity to educate younger students about […]