Yesterday, a group of our exceptional high school Youth In Action students went to Johnson Middle School to mentor the very first Youth In Action Future Me group. DFM recognized the need for prevention in Manatee County middle schools, and launched the “Future Me” program this year to do just that. The goal of this program is to cultivate a community where students feel a sense of belonging, purpose, and responsibility to help others. Our trained high school mentors will be a role model for middle schoolers, and help them to make positive and healthy decisions by sharing valuable information through evidence-based curriculum. Middle school students will then take the information to create a campus-based initiative to share with their peers during National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) in March. Also, this program will give 8th graders a natural transition into the high school Youth In Action program. This can serve as a protective factor during the sometimes stressful and uncertain transition from middle school to high school.