Session Handouts:
Priming Your Prevention Message Presentation Handout

Presenters:
Cheryl Sells, BA, OCPC
Director of Prevention, Youth to Youth International
Ty Sells, BA, OCPC
Director of Speaker Services, Youth to Youth International

According to the dictionary, “priming” can make something ready for use or action. If someone “primes the pump,” it means they take action to help something succeed or develop. When you share your prevention message through education and training are your prevention messages primed?
Practical and read to be used and acted upon?
Receivable- Smoothly shared and smoothly heard?
Interesting and seen as something valuable that will help them succeed or develop?
Memorable and have long-lasting meaning and use?
Engaging in a way that helps your audience get started applying what they are learning?
In today’s busy world, prevention practitioners rarely have the time to look deeply at what they are saying and how they are saying it. We could all use a time-out to be sure we know how to really teach what we are trying to teach.

Objectives
1. Demonstrate effective proven strategies for making your prevention message stick
2. Define the process of addiction
3. Develop ways to utilize messaging within your youth-led work