Public health advocates across the state have an opportunity to raise awareness about the devastating consequences to our environment of commercial tobacco growing, manufacturing, and use.
The Youth Strategy Exchange Calls (Youth SEC) are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners who engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will involve a living agenda to keep discussions relevant to buzzworthy news from our communities and new or ongoing challenges. More than anything, attending Youth SEC provides an opportunity to build connections and support among other statewide partners who share a passion for building more opportunities for youth.
CYAN invites you to participate in an upcoming webinar on utilizing social media to motivate and support youth and young adult quit attempts. Structured as a case study, the webinar will provide an overview of CYAN’s paid digital cessation campaigns which began in 2020 and were consumer tested with youth and young adult audiences throughout California. Topics will include campaign development, testing messages with youth and young adults, message preferences, and campaign outcomes. This webinar will also share CYAN’s best practices for crafting messages to support and motivate quit attempts, as well as share the digital cessation resources CYAN has available for the field.
Register here.
The California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) will be hosting a virtual Smoke and Tobacco-Free College Conference on Thursday, May 2, 2024 from 9:00am - 4:00pm
Morning Sessions (9:00am – 12:00pm)
The statewide conference will kick off with a focus on young adult college student tobacco use and strategies for supporting quit attempts. Sessions will highlight emerging tobacco-related challenges for California colleges and universities; current tobacco use among college students; strategies colleges are using to support students in quitting tobacco.
Afternoon Sessions (1:00pm - 4:00pm)
The afternoon sessions will be dedicated to student engagement and advancing smoke and tobacco-free policies at California Community Colleges. Participants will hear from young adults who will share strategies for engaging students in tobacco prevention and treatment intiatiives; staff from colleges and community partners who will highlight successes in partnering with students; and a research team on what factors contribute to successful smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption on community college campuses.
The tentative conference agenda can be viewed here.
This Conference is open to anyone working with or interested in learning more about addressing tobacco use at a college or university.
There is no cost to attend this event.
Registration will open on March 27th and will remain open through May 1, 2024. Registration is required to attend the event.
The CYAN Community College Strategy Exchange is designed for individuals working with California community colleges on smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption and tobacco treatment. Each Strategy Exchange will create a space to share updates on local community college efforts and brainstorm strategies for collective statewide action. Register for the monthly discussion here.
This call will be held monthly on the second Wednesday at 3:00pm - 4:00pm. For more information, contact Symphanie Algodon at symphanie@cyanonline.org.
The Youth Strategy Exchange Calls (Youth SEC) are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners who engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will involve a living agenda to keep discussions relevant to buzzworthy news from our communities and new or ongoing challenges. More than anything, attending Youth SEC provides an opportunity to build connections and support among other statewide partners who share a passion for building more opportunities for youth.
Youth Quest is an annual event hosted by CYAN to celebrate and promote youth advocacy in tobacco control. Youth Quest provides an opportunity for youth advocates to demonstrate their commitment to a smoke and tobacco-free California, learn about current tobacco prevention efforts, and build their advocacy skills by sharing their local work with legislators.
This year’s Youth Quest event will be held in Sacramento at the Convention Center and the State Capitol. Registration for this year’s event will open on January 2, 2024. More informationa about Youth Quest is available here.
The CYAN Community College Strategy Exchange is designed for individuals working with California community colleges on smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption and tobacco treatment. Each Strategy Exchange will create a space to share updates on local community college efforts and brainstorm strategies for collective statewide action. Register for the monthly discussion here.
This call will be held monthly on the second Wednesday at 3:00pm - 4:00pm. For more information, contact Symphanie Algodon at symphanie@cyanonline.org.
The Youth Strategy Exchange Calls (Youth SEC) are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners who engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will involve a living agenda to keep discussions relevant to buzzworthy news from our communities and new or ongoing challenges. More than anything, attending Youth SEC provides an opportunity to build connections and support among other statewide partners who share a passion for building more opportunities for youth.
Adult partners who will be attending Youth Quest 2024 are encouraged to attend the pre-event Coordinator Webinar. This webinar will provide guidance to coordinators on how to prepare for the event, review the agenda and Youth Quest key messages,, and discuss legislative visits. The webinar will be recorded and shared with all registered adult partners.
The CYAN Community College Strategy Exchange is designed for individuals working with California community colleges on smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption and tobacco treatment. Each Strategy Exchange will create a space to share updates on local community college efforts and brainstorm strategies for collective statewide action. Register for the monthly discussion here.
This call will be held monthly on the second Wednesday at 3:00pm - 4:00pm. For more information, contact Symphanie Algodon at symphanie@cyanonline.org.
The Youth Strategy Exchange Calls (Youth SEC) are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners who engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will involve a living agenda to keep discussions relevant to buzzworthy news from our communities and new or ongoing challenges. More than anything, attending Youth SEC provides an opportunity to build connections and support among other statewide partners who share a passion for building more opportunities for youth.
This webinar will provide an overview of Youth Quest; what participants can expect from attending the event; share guidance on registering youth coalitions/groups; and answer any questions adult partners may have about registering, preparing, or attending this year’s statewide event.
The CYAN Community College Strategy Exchange is designed for individuals working with California community colleges on smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption and tobacco treatment. Each Strategy Exchange will create a space to share updates on local community college efforts and brainstorm strategies for collective statewide action. Register for the monthly discussion here.
This call will be held monthly on the second Wednesday at 3:00pm - 4:00pm. For more information, contact Symphanie Algodon at symphanie@cyanonline.org.
The CYAN Community College Strategy Exchange is designed for individuals working with California community colleges on smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption and tobacco treatment. Each Strategy Exchange will create a space to share updates on local community college efforts and brainstorm strategies for collective statewide action. Register for the monthly discussion here.
This call will be held monthly on the second Wednesday at 3:00pm - 4:00pm. For more information, contact Symphanie Algodon at symphanie@cyanonline.org.
The Youth Strategy Exchange Calls (Youth SEC) are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners who engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will involve a living agenda to keep discussions relevant to buzzworthy news from our communities and new or ongoing challenges. More than anything, attending Youth SEC provides an opportunity to build connections and support among other statewide partners who share a passion for building more opportunities for youth.
For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. Great American Smokeout activities provide an opportunity for individuals, college campuses, community groups, businesses, health care providers, and others to encourage people who use tobacco to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and initiate a tobacco quit plan on the day of the event .
The Great American Smokeout is traditionally held on the third Thursday of November; however, your campus might choose to plan the event on a different day to accommodate your campus calendar. Great American Smokeout is on November 16, 2023.
CYAN provides free resources to California colleges and universities interested in hosting campus events to motivate and support students and campus community members in quitting tobacco. Resources include quit kits, print educational and cesation materials, and tools to generate ideas for on-campus events and activities.
Quit Kits
Quit kits are designed to support individuals who use tobacco in quitting by providing an assortment of quit tools and resources. This year’s quit kits include items such as mint toothpicks, tea bag, hard candy, textured sticker, water enhancer, quit brochure, a pen, and a note pad for individuals to document cravings and triggers. CYAN sends campuses all supplies and campus partners can build the quit kits and add additional resources or materials, if interested.
Customizable quit kit materials are available in English, Spanish, and for Student Veterans. When registering, individuals can select which quit kits they are interested in receiving. Quit kits will be distributed to California campuses and organizations that register for the event in early November.
Educational Materials
Posters, flyers, fact cards, and other educational materials are available free of charge to help promote tobacco cessation on your campus. If you would like these additional materials for your Great American Smokeout and other events on campus, please click here. Note: You will be redirected to the cyanonline.org website for ordering.
Digital Vape and Tobacco Quit Support Guide - New!
CYAN provides a digital support guide which offers tips on how to start a quit journey, helpful techniques to manage cravings and triggers, journaling prompts, and free and anonymous support resources.
Great American Smokeout Event Toolkit - New!
CYAN provides an Event Toolkit which offers event ideas, social media messaging, and resources for education, advocacy, and tobacco treatment .
Social Media Resources - New!
Interested in posting social messages to promote GAS and your event? We’ve created a series of social media messages designed to promote quitting tobacco. There are messages that can be used throughout this week to motivate quit attempts. Make sure to “follow” CYAN on social media so you can re-post our messages and we can see your posts. You can find us on Instagram at @cyanonline.
If you would like to request educational materials to from Kick It California, formerly the California Smokers’ Helpline, visit here. Kick It California provides free support for individuals in California to quit tobacco. For more information about the helpline, please visit kickitca.org.
For more information about this event, please contact Jocelyn Rodriguez at jocelyn[at]cyanonline.org.
This webinar is the third in a series on the foundational concepts of youth engagement.
Learning youth engagement concepts is helpful, but how can adult partners apply them in community settings? Through this session, CYAN will provide tools, ideas, and even model practices that create safe and welcoming spaces. Participants will learn how to use community agreements, community circles, and decision-making processes to navigate conflict and nurture healthy group dynamics.
Youth have the ability and right to be a part of the decisions that impact their life, yet young people are not always welcome within decision-making spaces or processes. As adult coordinators, allies, and partners, it is crucial to create and advocate for environments where youth can express their agency without systematic barriers.
In collaboration with TCCC (Tribal Community Coordinating Center) and the LGBTQ Center OC, CYAN (California Youth Advocacy Network) has developed a webinar series to discuss foundational concepts of youth engagement, restorative and social justice practices, as well as youth-centered spaces – which can all help to nurture authentic youth-adult partnerships. Come and join an informative series and be a part of the movement to expand youth voice and action.
This webinar is the second in a series on the foundational concepts of youth engagement.
There are many systems that inform our practices. This includes the way we teach, learn, and engage with one another. This session will focus on the ways laws, culture and social norms influence the way we perceive and interact with youth. Participants will learn the importance of regularly dismantling and unlearning practices that oppress youth and how to become adult allies that empower youth.
Youth have the ability and right to be a part of the decisions that impact their life, yet young people are not always welcome within decision-making spaces or processes. As adult coordinators, allies, and partners, it is crucial to create and advocate for environments where youth can express their agency without systematic barriers.
In collaboration with TCCC (Tribal Community Coordinating Center) and the LGBTQ Center OC, CYAN (California Youth Advocacy Network) has developed a webinar series to discuss foundational concepts of youth engagement, restorative and social justice practices, as well as youth-centered spaces – which can all help to nurture authentic youth-adult partnerships. Come and join an informative series and be a part of the movement to expand youth voice and action.
This webinar is the first in a series on the foundational concepts of youth engagement.
Youth advocates occupy the many intersections of our communities. To understand the way youth have historically been oppressed is to understand our own history of oppression. This session will discuss the importance of identity and the role it plays in advocacy. By the end, participants will understand why youth are critical partners in the process to create positive community change.
Youth have the ability and right to be a part of the decisions that impact their life, yet young people are not always welcome within decision-making spaces or processes. As adult coordinators, allies, and partners, it is crucial to create and advocate for environments where youth can express their agency without systematic barriers.
In collaboration with TCCC (Tribal Community Coordinating Center) and the LGBTQ Center OC, CYAN (California Youth Advocacy Network) has developed a webinar series to discuss foundational concepts of youth engagement, restorative and social justice practices, as well as youth-centered spaces – which can all help to nurture authentic youth-adult partnerships. Come and join an informative series and be a part of the movement to expand youth voice and action.
The Youth Strategy Exchange Calls (Youth SEC) are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners who engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will involve a living agenda to keep discussions relevant to buzzworthy news from our communities and new or ongoing challenges. More than anything, attending Youth SEC provides an opportunity to build connections and support among other statewide partners who share a passion for building more opportunities for youth.
The Youth Strategy Exchange Calls (Youth SEC) are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners who engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will involve a living agenda to keep discussions relevant to buzzworthy news from our communities and new or ongoing challenges. More than anything, attending Youth SEC provides an opportunity to build connections and support among other statewide partners who share a passion for building more opportunities for youth.
CYAN’s annual statewide conference is designed for youth who are working on making their communities smoke and commercial tobacco-free, and offers them the opportunity to learn more about advocacy and practice their skills. The summer conference strives to strengthen youth engagement in local policy, systems, and environmental change efforts by providing young people with training on a variety of skills and topics related to coalition development, data collection, public speaking, community engagement, and working with decision makers.
CYAN’s Spring 2023 youth listening sessions illuminated a strong preference for digital cessation support and resources. This webinar provided an overview CYAN’s youth social media quit campaigns, including campaign development, testing messages with youth, and quit campaign outcomes. The session also shared best practices for crafting messages to support and motivate youth quit attempts, as well as shared the digital resources CYAN has available for the field.
CYAN has hosted youth and young adult listening sessions since 2013, with the most recent wave of listening sessions occurring in Spring 2023. The Spring 2023 Youth Listening Sessions hosted nearly 100 diverse youth participants (12 – 18 years old) and were held at middle school and high school campuses across California. Listening session topics included tobacco and marijuana products and devices, harm perception and addiction, school enforcement, product use catalysts, and quit support preferences.
This webinar provided an overview of CYAN’s Spring 2023 Youth Listening Session findings, as well as the key factors impacting use, shifting attitudes regarding tobacco and marijuana, and the pressing need for inclusive resources that address the link between product usage and mental health.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners that engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will have facilitated discussions to hear and address relevant challenges, spotlight successful strategies, and share knowledge on ways to best engage with youth partners.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls will take place bi-monthly on the 4th Monday from 1:00pm - 2:00pm (PST).
Register for the May event here.
The California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) will be hosting a virtual Smoke and Tobacco-Free College Conference on May 4th and 5th from 9:00am – 12:00pm.
May 4th @ 9:00am – 12:00pm
The first day of the statewide conference will focus on young adult college student substance use and mental health. Sessions will highlight current tobacco, marijuana, and other substance use among college students; the impact of poor mental health on substance use; and strategies colleges are using to supporting overall student wellness.
May 5th @ 9:00am – 12:00pm
Day 2 of the Conference will be dedicated to advancing smoke and tobacco-free policies at California Community Colleges. Participants will hear from a research team on what factors contribute to successful smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption on community college campuses. Following this session, a panel advocates will discuss what challenges continue to exist when addressing tobacco use on campus and strategies they have used to advance smoke and tobacco-free policies.
The conference agenda can be viewed here.
This Conference is open to anyone working with or interested in learning more about addressing tobacco and marijuana use at a college or university.
Day 1 is designed for college/university students, staff, faculty, and public health partners from community organizations. While knowledge and best practices will be shared from California institutions, individuals from outside of California are welcome to attend the event.
Day 2 is open to students, staff, and faculty from a California Community College campus or district as well as community-based organizations working with these institutions to address tobacco use.
There is no cost to attend this event.
Registration is open through May 3, 2023. Registration is required to attend the event. On the registration page, individuals will be asked to select if they will be attending on one or both days of the conference.
Public health advocates across the state have an opportunity to raise awareness about the devastating consequences to our environment of commercial tobacco growing, manufacturing, and use.
CYAN’s College Strategy Exchanges are designed for individuals working with California colleges, universities, and vocational schools on smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption, implementation, and compliance. Each Strategy Exchange will have facilitated discussions addressing relevant challenges, spotlighting successes, and sharing knowledge on how to engage with young adults at public, private, and trade and technical colleges.
College Strategy Exchanges are held tri-monthly on the second Wednesday of the month from 1:00pm - 2:00pm (PST).
Register for the April discussion here.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners that engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will have facilitated discussions to hear and address relevant challenges, spotlight successful strategies, and share knowledge on ways to best engage with youth partners.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls will take place bi-monthly on the 4th Monday from 1:00pm - 2:00pm (PST).
Register for the March event here.
Youth Quest 2023 Flyer
Youth Quest is an annual event hosted by CYAN to celebrate and promote youth advocacy in tobacco control. Youth Quest provides an opportunity for youth advocates to demonstrate their commitment to a tobacco-free California, learn about current tobacco control efforts, and build their advocacy skills by sharing their local work with legislators.
This year’s Youth Quest event will be held in Sacramento at the Sheraton and West Steps of the State Capitol. Registration for this year’s event will open in January 2023. More informationa about Youth Quest is available here.
Adult partners who will be attending Youth Quest 2023 are encouraged to attend the pre-event Coordinator Webinar. This webinar will provide guidance to coordinators on how to prepare for the event, review the agenda and Youth Quest key messages,, and discuss legislative visits. The webinar will be recorded and shared with all registered adult partners.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners that engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will have facilitated discussions to hear and address relevant challenges, spotlight successful strategies, and share knowledge on ways to best engage with youth partners.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls will take place bi-monthly on the 4th Monday from 1:00pm - 2:00pm (PST).
Register for the January event here.
This webinar will provide an overview of Youth Quest; what participants can expect from attending the event; share guidance on registering youth coalitions/groups; and answer any questions adult partners may have about registering, preparing, or attending this year’s statewide event.
CYAN’s College Strategy Exchanges are designed for individuals working with California colleges, universities, and vocational schools on smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption, implementation, and compliance. Each Strategy Exchange will have facilitated discussions addressing relevant challenges, spotlighting successes, and sharing knowledge on how to engage with young adults at public, private, and trade and technical colleges.
College Strategy Exchanges are held tri-monthly on the second Wednesday of the month from 1:00pm - 2:00pm (PST).
Register for the January discussion here.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls are a great way for Youth Coordinators and other partners that engage young people in commercial tobacco prevention and advocacy initiatives to network with the youth-focused community. Each Strategy Exchange will have facilitated discussions to hear and address relevant challenges, spotlight successful strategies, and share knowledge on ways to best engage with youth partners.
The Youth Coordinator Strategy Exchange Calls will take place bi-monthly on the 4th Monday from 1:00pm - 2:00pm (PST).
Register for the November event here.
