Youth Quest

about youth quest

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.

potential participants

Youth Quest is an event for California Tobacco Prevention Program (CTPP)-funded organizations engaging youth in community-based interventions. This year’s event is geared toward middle and high school age students working with local programs on smoke/tobacco-free policy initiatives. The event is free for those attending from a CTPP-funded project. Youth from CDE-TUPE programs are welcome to attend the event; however, there will be a fee associated with attending.

Legislative Visits

A major component of Youth Quest is legislative visits.  All participants are required to visit a legislator or conduct drop-by visits to provide information and education on local, community-based tobacco-free activities. CYAN will schedule all legislative visits.

schedule

The event begins at approximately 8:30am and end by 3:00pm. The full-day event includes a mix of activities, educational presentations, a march to the Capitol, rally and press conference on Capitol grounds, and visits with state decision makers.

Registration

Registration for the 2025 event will open in January.

Cost

This event is free for any coalition directly funded by CTPP. Organizations that do not receive funding but are involved local tobacco prevention activities can register to be added to the waitlist and are able to attend at no cost, if space permits. Or, organizations may pay a fee per participant. All K-12 coalitions and TUPE grantees will need to pay a fee to participate. The 2024 fee was $89 per participant.

informational webinars

CYAN will host a Youth Quest informational webinar in January 2025. The date, time, and registration information will be shared in late 2024. This webinar will provide an overview of the event, what to expect on March 10, and answer questions participants have about registering for and attending Youth Quest.

questions and additional information

CYAN has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from past Youth Quest events. Please take time to review the FAQs. If you would like additional information about Youth Quest or have a question that is not addressed in the FAQ document, please email info@cyanonline.org.