Hello!  My name is Jessie and I am a senior at King George High School.  This is my fourth year in Y Street and my second year on the Y Street Leadership Team.  As a statewide volunteer initiative, Y Street has promoted various health campaigns such as Share The Air.  The Share The Air campaign aims to make Virginia’s outdoor public spaces 100% tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free.  To push the campaign goals forward and create positive change across the state, fellow Y Street leaders and I have engaged with community members and met with decision-makers.

On January 13, I was invited to present on Share The Air at the King George County Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting to continue the discussion from the meeting I participated in last summer with King George County’s Park Director, who was very supportive of the campaign.  To prepare, I practiced the presentation and considered the potential questions that could be asked by committee members.  During the virtual meeting, we thoroughly discussed the campaign, from sharing personal experiences and the issues caused by tobacco use, such as exposure to secondhand smoke and vape aerosol, to campaign strategies to tackle the issue.  We also discussed the voluntary tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free outdoor policy that local park authorities can adopt and implement and the free resources that Share The Air provide such as tobacco-free signage and social media promotion.  At the end of the meeting, the committee agreed to discuss the proposed policy further and expressed interest in receiving free signage to help with implementation and communication if they decide to adopt the policy.  They also were eager to share information about the campaign with others.

From having the opportunity to present to key decision-makers, I’ve learned that many people from my community truly do support the policy and goals that are brought forth by the Share The Air campaign, which is inspiring and exciting.  Supporting tobacco-free outdoor spaces encourages healthy behaviors that will ultimately benefit the community and environment.  To learn more about the campaign and show your support for tobacco-free, smoke-free, and vapor-free outdoor spaces, visit sharetheairva.com.

Hi!  My name is Najor and I am a senior at Potomac High School.  I have been a member of Y Street for two years and this is my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team.  On November 23, 2020, I met with Fredericksburg’s Park Director and staff members about the Share The Air campaign that promotes 100% tobacco-free and e-cigarette free outdoor public spaces.  The purpose of the meeting was to educate them about the campaign and discuss how Share The Air can serve as a resource to support them with implementing a voluntary tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free outdoor policy.

To ensure everyone’s safety, the meeting took place via Zoom.  After introductions, we discussed the campaign’s goals and objectives and the free resources we offer to Parks and Recreation Departments who adopt a voluntary tobacco-free outdoor policy.  During the meeting, the main discussion point was enforcement and whether the public will adhere to the policy if they see tobacco-free signage in the parks.  We explained that communication is key and that most people will comply if they know the policy exists.  By the end of the meeting, the Park Director was very supportive and wanted to share the campaign information with her supervisors.  She also mentioned a possible follow-up meeting with her supervisors to further discuss the importance of this effort.

One thing I took away from this experience is the hope that Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation will adopt a voluntary tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free outdoor policy.  If the policy is adopted, it will create healthier outdoor recreational areas because the parks will be free of secondhand smoke and aerosol from vape products, protecting youth with asthma.  It will also help to keep the parks clean from litter since most tobacco products are likely to end up as litter. According to a National Litter Study, tobacco products are the most littered item nationwide, accounting for nearly 40%of all littered items.[1] 

Meeting with my local Parks and Recreation Department benefits the campaign because it raises awareness about the need for tobacco-free and vapor-free outdoor spaces, which is the first step in creating change locally.  To learn more about Share The Air and to support the campaign, visit sharetheairva.com and complete a message of support today.

[1] Keep America Beautiful, Inc. 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study. https://www.kab.org/sites/default/ les/News%20%26%20Info_Research_2009_NationalVisibleLitterSurveyandCostStudy_Final.pdf
                                                                                   

Hey everyone! My name is Sheyla and I’m a sophomore at Powhatan High School. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team. Y Street has had many successful campaigns that I’m proud to have been involved in. My favorite campaign is Rev Your Bev!

Rev Your Bev raises awareness on the importance of drinking water and the effects of consuming sugary beverages every day. Water makes up 70% of your body and helps in more ways than you could possibly know! H2O helps your body digest food and get rid of waste, keep your temperature stable, and carry nutrients throughout your body. Because water is so
important, a lack of it can cause blood thickening and kidney stones. Ouch!

As an athlete, this campaign has been more than just an educational opportunity. It has been a lifestyle overhaul! I remember a time when I was leaving my lacrosse game and I caught a cramp in both my calves. I realized I had sweet tea throughout the day and only one bottle of water. I needed to drink much more water.

I’ve made some easy tips and tricks to help you increase your water intake.

Sheyla’s Top 5 Tips To Staying Hydrated.

1. Trick your brain into drinking more water by using a refillable water bottle. Not only does it save the environment but it also makes you want to drink more because of how cute your water bottle is!

2. To know how much water you should drink, take your body weight, and divide it in half. That’s the amount of water in ounces you should drink a day.

3. Start slow. Switch out one sugary drink at a time until it becomes a habit. If you are used to having a sugary drink with every meal, for lunch, try switching out your beverage with water until it becomes routine. Then move on to dinner…

4. Infuse your water with cucumbers, strawberries, or any masterpiece you create!

5. Eat foods high in water such as lettuce, honeydew melon, watermelon, cabbage, and cantaloupe!

During these times, it’s especially important that we learn healthy habits. We’re all in this together, Y-Sters! For easy tips to drink more water every day, please visit RevYourBev.com.

Hi! My name is Jordyn and I am a senior at Caroline High School. I have been in Y Street for two years and this is my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team! Enjoying the great outdoors is one of my favorite activities and it can be rewarding for both people and our pets. In this post, I will talk more about our Share The Air campaign and how it is beneficial for us and our furry friends!

Share The Air is all about promoting tobacco-free and vapor-free outdoor spaces in Virginia to create healthier spaces for men, women, children, and even pets. Smoking and using e-cigarettes in public spaces releases toxic fumes which are extremely harmful. Exposure to secondhand smoke and vape aerosol makes pets susceptible to respiratory illnesses and multiple forms of cancer. Creating spaces that are tobacco-free and vapor-free would reduce these risks. It would also provide safe and healthy places for you and your pets to enjoy!

My dog and I love to play outside together. She loves rolling around in the grass and playing with toys. I like taking my dog out to play, but the possibility of her health being compromised is a little frightening. I want her to have a long healthy life. Share The Air is working to ensure that our public spaces are tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free to create a cleaner and healthier outdoor environment. I encourage you to learn more about this campaign by visiting ShareTheAirVA.com. You can also follow both Y Street and Share The Air on social media to show your support for tobacco-free and vapor-free outdoor spaces in Virginia!

Hello everyone! My name is Sydney and I am a rising senior at Potomac Senior High School. This is my third year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team. I came into Y Street scared to use my voice, but I grew as a leader the more I got involved. Also, fellow Y-Sters helped me to feel more comfortable and make it easier. 

Y Street gives youth the opportunity to advocate and encourage others to improve their community and lifestyle. As you participate in this organization, you learn how the work you’re doing will not only benefit you but your school and community environment too. Through our Y Street campaigns such as the Share The Air and Rev Your Bev, we have come across opportunities to promote policy change within our school and community. Policy change can create a healthier school and community environment because it can positively influence people’s decisions and actions.

Since joining Y Street, I have promoted policy change for tobacco-free outdoor spaces across Virginia through Share The Air and helping my peers make healthier beverage choices in school through Rev Your Bev. To raise awareness, we have held events during school lunch shifts and even sporting games! Also, in our meetings, we have brainstormed ideas for future Y Street events and key decision-makers we should get in contact with.

Along the way, I have gotten questions and responses like, “Well we’re young, why does it matter right now? We have time.” As a youth, now is the time to work for change. These campaigns could make life better for generations to come. We have to be the change we want to see. Y Street gives us the platform and opportunities to make a difference, become more aware of issues we have the power to change, and better ourselves and our communities.

To learn more about how to become a part of the movement, visit YStreet.org. I hope you take the next step and join Y Street!

Hey! My name is Yvonne, and I am a rising senior at Granby High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years now! At the end of the school year, I applied to be a part of the Y Street Leadership Team and, to my surprise, I was accepted! Usually, the staff on the team would get existing and new members of the Leadership Team together in Richmond to host a Summit. While in Richmond, there would be many interactive activities to prepare for the upcoming school year, including meeting with our local representatives, and (most importantly) getting to know everyone on the Leadership Team. However, this year the Y Street Leadership Team Summit was a little different. Because of the times we are in, having an in-person summit was not an option. So, we took advantage of Zoom, making this year the first-ever virtual summit. During the Summit week, we participated in various fun activities and talked in-depth about Y Street’s Share The Air and Rev Your Bev campaigns. We also used that time to talk about the expectations we have as leaders in Y Street. Each night during the summit week, we also joined social activities.

During this time, there was no talk about anything related to Y Street. This was the time we used to play games and get to know each other since we could not meet in-person. We played online group games, including my favorite, the virtual escape room!  Along with getting to know each other through the presented social activities, we also had ZOOMmates. If this summit were to be held in Richmond, each of us would be assigned a roommate, but since that could not happen, we had a ZOOMmate.

Each night, there was an activity that allowed us to talk with and learn about our ZOOMmate to get a deeper understanding of who they were. 
 
This Virtual Summit was more than I expected it to be. The staff at Y Street made this a memorable experience. I met a lot of ambitious, intelligent young people and also made a couple of new friends. Of course, it would have been nice to see everyone in person, but we had to make the best of it. Y Street Leadership Team is truly a fantastic opportunity to meet like minded people who want to make Virginia healthier.  To learn more about Y Street and the Leadership Team, visit YStreet.org.

Hello! I am Ryan, a senior at JR Tucker High School in Henrico. I have been a member of Y Street for one year now, and I am excited to further my involvement and commitment as a member of the leadership team! For me, Y Street is not just a movement but a community, constantly reinventing both itself and the communities of Virginia. To be a good citizen and
advocate for public health, I believe it is important never to become complacent, and Y Street is anything but.

Y Street is a youth-led group spanning across Virginia that promotes and supports healthy behavior changes and legislation that will improve Virginians’ overall health. I was introduced to Y Street through a peer of mine, a leader in the movement at the time. Immediately I knew this was something I wanted to be affiliated and involved with. At their very core, Y Street team members strive to make Virginia a better place by leaving their mark, which stuck with me since the very beginning. From providing fruit-flavored water to students during lunch and promoting healthy hydration in schools as part of the Rev Your Bev initiative, to exhibiting at a local fair to promote tobacco-free outdoor spaces for our Share The Air campaign, Y-Sters at my school go above and beyond the call of duty to foster a culture of healthy living and coexistence.

Y Street has broadened my view by drawing my attention to issues I had not given thought to in the past, like making public spaces tobacco-free. From working on Share The Air, I’ve learned about the negative impact of tobacco advertising in low-income communities and the dangers of secondhand smoke. By joining Y Street, I can promise a great deal of personal development will come to pass. For those who are passionate about elevating their community, this organization will provide a means to that end. When it comes to the world we all share, there never is truly an end to progress; a fact Y Street members embrace wholeheartedly. Your voice matters and if you are motivated, Y Street will provide an opportunity to enhance and develop not only your community, but the state of Virginia as a whole.

Hey! My name is Riya and I am a senior at Fauquier High School in Warrenton. This is my second year in Y Street and my first year on the Y Street Leadership Team.

Fast food has consumed our lives as being an easy and affordable way to eat. It can be found almost everywhere with numerous options available. Although fast food can be delicious and cost-effective, it has affected our country detrimentally. High in calories, fat, salt, and sugar, consuming excessive fast food can lead to obesity and other health issues. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there are more than 78 million obese people in the United States. 1 Therefore, obesity in America is a major health issue affecting people of all ages and incomes.

Obesity prevention is important because it can reduce health problems caused by obesity and ensure everyone gets a chance to live a healthy lifestyle. Why wait until it’s too late to act when we can start today?

Youth are at most risk, as data from the CDC shows that in 2015-2016 nearly 1 in 5 school-age children and young people aged 6 to 19 years in the United States have obesity. 2 This is partly due to youth’s lack of awareness. Some are not aware of the importance of eating healthy and exercising or drinking water, all of which can help them maintain a healthy weight. I want to help youth lead a healthier lifestyle because I was once an overweight child, clueless about the importance of good nutrition. My parents would let me eat whatever I wanted, until one day I looked at myself and realized I had to change my eating habits because no one will do that for me.

Youth activism is important in addressing the issue of obesity because we as youth have a greater influence among our own generation. Young people will listen and relate more to people similar to their age than adults. Y Street and its campaigns spread awareness on issues such as obesity by educating youth in fun and engaging ways. Virginians have been inspired by what Y Street has to say through our interactive activities in schools and at events around the community. You don’t want to be behind the scenes waiting for the change to happen, be a part of the action making it happen. To learn more about Y Street and its incredible purpose, visit ystreet.org or follow Y Street on social media.

1 Secretary, HHS Office of the. “Facts & Statistics.” HHS.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services, 26 Jan. 2017,
www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and statistics/index.html#:~:text=Obesity,children%20and%20adolescents%20are%20obese.&text=Recent%20reports%20project%20that%20by, United%20States%20will%20be%20obese.
2 “Childhood Obesity Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 June 2019,
www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html.

Hey! My name is Ruth and I’m currently a junior at Giles High School. I have been a part of Y Street for two years and have been on the Y Street Leadership Team (YSLT) for one year. Right now, we are all experiencing something we’ve never seen before. These are uncharted waters. Despite being worried about the future for schools, work, the economy, etc., I am trying my best to stay healthy and take care of myself during this time as I hope you are too!

Staying active is a great way to help yourself physically and mentally. Just because you can’t go to the gym doesn’t mean you can’t stay active!  For me, I love working out at home. There are a plethora of workout plans and videos online that you can do while at home to help you get inspired. You can also utilize any weights, workout machines, or swimming pool you may have at home to keep active. Do not feel like you have to do anything intense, something as simple as a safe walk around the neighborhood is great for your health.

This can be a stressful time for many people. School can be overwhelming with managing the workload and jobs can be very intense at this time with some people losing their jobs altogether. Mental health is extremely important and should not be overlooked. Please be sure to take care of yourself and do what you need to do to be okay. If you are able, check up on your friends with a phone call to make sure they are okay as well. We can’t see each other face to face, but we can still text, call, or FaceTime. Communication is vital during this time; do not neglect it!

I know it is easy to feel alone or stressed out during this time. Taking care of your physical and mental health is especially important now. Remember that we are all dealing with this together and we will persevere and come out stronger!

Hi, my name is Shawna. I am in the 11th grade at Granby High School, and this is my second year in Y Street. Rev Your Bev is a Y Street campaign that promotes healthy hydration. When school was still in session, RYB really championed for hydration among students, faculty, and staff. Now that schools are closed and it seems like we’ll be trapped in the house forever, we are working overtime to encourage everyone to drink water while at home. We have been trying to come up with creative ways for our Y-Sters to help keep themselves and their families hydrated. One way that I have personally been staying hydrated is by keeping fruit-infused water in the fridge. My favorite is one I’ve coined “Spring Breeze.”  Here is the easy, step by step recipe!

What you’ll need:

• 1 pineapple
• 1 carton of strawberries
• 1 carton of blueberries
• 1 lemon
• 1 gallon of water

Instructions: 

1. Peel the pineapple and cut into halves, then cut those halves into small chunks.
2. Cut the leaves off the strawberries and proceed to cut them into halves.
3. Fill a gallon size pitcher with water and add fruit. 
4. Let chill for 30 minutes.
5. Enjoy! 

For more recipes to help you and your family “jazz” up your water, please visit Rev Your Bev at RevYourBev.com