Birthed out of a vision to empower community youth the Above the Influence-Kent County™ movement celebrates the choices Kent County youth make daily to live above the negative influences around them. Through the advancement of Above the Influence-Kent County™, the Kent County Prevention Coalition [KCPC] creates spaces for even the most vulnerable to use their voice to make a difference. ATI- Kent County™ is designed to equip middle and high school youth to think critically about personal choices and future ambitions, emerging community health and wellness trends related to underage substance use, and misuse, and the power community teens have individually and collectively to impact peers, family and community norms and the world by making a personal commitment to live Above the Influence.
Rather than telling teens how to live their lives, Above the Influence-Kent County™ is aspiration-driven. This movement is evidence-based and helps teens connect with their own dreams as motivation for positive decision-making in every facet of their lives. We believe that nothing is more powerful than a teenager that is supported and loved, purpose-driven, and operating with positive self-image. Living ‘Above the Influence’ is a revolution rooted in personal commitments to a lifestyle of making positive choices regarding health, associations, relationships and future ambitions.
Although Above the Influence-Kent County™ is a derivative of the national Above the Influence campaign, a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The ATI- Kent County™ brand has made Kent County a nationally-recognized model community for best practices in youth engagement and community mobilization to reduce underage substance use.