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Kearney Oktoberfest- Share your Reason for being a Rockstar Parent Table
Hosted by:
Kearney- Holt Community Acting Now
Please briefly describe your Communities Talk activity.
Our coalition hosted a table at a local Oktoberfest Community Fair. Alcohol was served at the event so, leading up to the fair, we worked with the planners and gave recommendations to include ID checkpoints and have separation between drinking areas and children’s areas. At the event we focused on social norming around the idea that most parents don’t supply alcohol to minors. We wanted to celebrate this and spread the message that supplying alcohol to minors is not OK in our community. At our table we spoke to parents and passed out underage drinking prevention materials. We also hosted a kids’ coloring craft, which drew in multiple families and gave us time to have some great conversation with parents. We also spoke to the youth about the importance of keeping their brain healthy. We reached 400 community members through this event.
How does alcohol and other drug misuse affect your community?
Alcohol remains the highest misused substance by those under age 18 in the Kearney area, according to the 2024 Missouri Student Survey. Past-30-day use of alcohol by high schoolers was 17.5% in 2022 and dropped to 7.3% in 2024
Which prevention strategy(ies), as defined by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, best fit your Communities Talk activity?
- Environmental Strategy - focuses on establishing or changing community standards, codes, and attitudes thereby influencing incidence and prevalence of alcohol and other drug use within the community. The strategy depends on engaging a broad base of community partners, focuses on places and specific problems, and emphasizes public policy.
- Information Dissemination Strategy - focuses on improving awareness and knowledge of the effects of AOD issues on communities and families through “one-way” communication with the audience such as speaking engagements, health fairs, and distribution of print materials.
- Education Strategy - focuses on “two-way” communication between the facilitator and participants and aims to improve life/social skills such as decision making, refusal skills, and critical analysis.
What goal(s) did you hope to accomplish with your Communities Talk activity?
- Build coalitions with other agencies or programs to reduce and prevent alcohol and/or other drug misuse.
- Enforce compliance checks to reduce youth access to alcohol and/or other drugs.
- Limit sales of alcohol at public events where youth are present.
Did you accomplish your goal(s)?
Yes
What challenge(s) did you face in planning your activity this year?
- Number of volunteers when it came time for the event. We did find help, but it was more challenging than anticipated.
How did you overcome these challenges?
We made some direct asks, and those who were available worked longer shifts than originally planned. We learned that, although many were involved in the planning and bought into the event, we needed confirmation for availability to be there with more notice so we would have ample time to search for more volunteers to cover the event.
What are your next steps?
- Support new prevention policies, legislation, or social ordinances
- Create a public education campaign to raise awareness and/or change behaviors around underage drinking (i.e., create PSAs and other promotional materials)
If you’ve conducted Communities Talk activities in prior years, how has your repeated participation contributed to progress in achieving your prevention goals?
Our Missouri Student Survey data is showing a positive downward dip in teen alcohol use. We hope to attribute some of that positive change to the efforts of our coalition, and we will continue to build awareness and look for ways to make meaningful change.
Organizations that conduct Communities Talk activities often involve other organizations in the planning and execution of events. Please indicate which type(s) of organizations you involved in your activity planning.
- Law enforcement
- Secondary schools
- Local businesses
- State and local government agencies (e.g., public health departments)
Which of the following best describes the primary audience(s) for your Communities Talk activity?
How did you reach and engage your primary audience(s) to encourage them to participate in your activity?
We hosted the free kids’ coloring craft at our table, which drew youth and their parents to us and opened the opportunity for us to share our messaging and distribute educational materials. We also gave parents an opportunity to add their reason for being a rock star parent to our poster board. The board read “Let’s go Rock Star Parents! Join the 97% of parents in our community who choose not to provide alcohol to minors or allow them to drink. Share your reason Why:”
Which Communities Talk resources (or other SAMHSA resources) were most helpful for your activity?
- Prevention-related webinars
- Communities Talk planning guides
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