THE MAKING OF THREE TRAVELING EXHIBITS
AIRING OUT BIG TOBACCO'S DIRTY LAUNDRY
How do you create a youth advocacy campaign during a worldwide pandemic?
VERY CAREFULLY! Partnership's Today's Youth, Tomorrow's Leaders (TYTL) Program worked with a trio of teens who have participated in virtual meetings and worked independently on a unique project to spread the word about "Big Tobacco's" deceptive practices to target teens with their products, including electronic cigarettes in recent years. The teens got together at the end of March for an in-person meeting, following COVID-19 safety protocols. Each teen had an individual work station and wore face coverings while they worked to see their three exhibits take shape. There is one exhibit for each school district. Airing Out Big Tobacco's Dirty Laundry was a campaign designed to coincide with the National Take Down Tobacco Day on April 1. Severe weather postponed a community launch of the project, which started traveling throughout schools in Huntsville, Madison and Madison County the week of April 5. Thanks to the hard work of Josiah Smitherman, a three-year member of the TYTL Team, Kate Bowman and Pierre Carter, both first year TYTL members, actual quotes from Big Tobacco executives are being exposed, along with more deceptive tactics related to vaping. In addition, Cherubim Jephunneh, who is an intern with Partnership from Alabama A&M, along with Ariel Matthews, a new Partnership staff member and recent University of Alabama graduate, along with staff members Ann Marie Martin, Jacqueline Carter, Anna Thibodeaux, Ann Light and Wendy Reeves have contributed to the project. |