Partnership for Youth
About The Partnership for Youth
The mission of the Partnership for Youth is to promote the health and well-being of teens in the Franklin County and North Quabbin region. PFY collaborates with school and community partners to:
- establish and support effective youth development and health-promotion programs;
- provide training and technical assistance with emphasis on evidence-based practices; and
- involve and empower youth.
Current Projects
Teen Health Survey PFY works with nine local school districts to conduct the annual Teen Health Survey. Students in grades 8, 10, and 12 participate in this important survey about health and decision-making. The results help determine programming, secure funding, and educate parents, students, and the community. Survey results and reports are located at the Communities That Care Coalition website.
Substance Abuse Prevention Through the Communities That Care Coalition, PFY works with partners from multiple sectors across the region to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors related to youth substance abuse prevention.
Dropout Prevention PFY works with four school districts (Gill-Montague, Greenfield, Athol-Royalston and RC Mahar) under a grant from the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education held by the Gill-Montague Regional School District. The project aims to reduce school dropout in the four participating districts by improving systems for early intervention with students at risk of dropping out.
Nutrition and Physical Activity Through the Communities That Care Coalition, PFY facilitates Franklin County’s Healthy Youth initiative. This project is part of Mass in Motion, funded by the MA Department of Public Health, through which communities across the state address policies and systems that make it easier for people to make healthy choices regarding food, physical activity, and preventing chronic diseases.
Youth Conference For 21 years, PFY has sponsored an Annual Youth Conference, planned and run by students from an area school that hosts the conference. Youth and adults from Franklin County and North Quabbin school districts and youth programs participate, as well as others from throughout Western MA. The 2012 Conference was held at Greenfield High School on April 13. For more information, visit PFY Youth Conference on Facebook.
Resource Library PFY has resources available, in the FRCOG library conference room, including video and print materials and evidence-based curricula, covering topics such as youth development, teen substance abuse, violence and pregnancy prevention, social norms marketing, and coalition building. The library catalog is accessible here.