Engaging Youth in Prevention Advocacy
Straight Up is a Ventura County, California youth development project for ages 12-25 that promotes social change regarding underage and binge drinking, impaired driving, marijuana, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other concerns using improvisation and interactive techniques to engage discussion, explore issues, and develop personal and community solutions to these issues.
Straight Up also provides resources to parents through our Let's Talk program.
Straight Up is made possible through funding from Ventura County Behavioral Health Department, Alcohol and Drug Programs.
About our Programs
Our activities include:
- A range of options for interactive classroom workshops
- Youth leadership development and spokesperson training
- Reality Parties for Parents – After seeing teen actors portray scenes from a simulated drinking party and voice their concerns about trends in youth alcohol use, parents explore what adults can do to make a difference and keep their kids safe
- Community assessments – Identifying problems & potential solutions
- Guidance and support for planning & implementing your own prevention projects
- Training in Reality Improv and social change theatre techniques
- Video production – Webcasts & public service announcements
- Community discussion through the Straight Up blog
- Straight Up audio podcast
- Let's Talk - Promoting open and healthy dialogue between parents and teens about tough issues such as underage drinking, sexuality, HIV/AIDS and the prevention of STDs
Announcements
2012 Video Contest
Congratulations and thank you to everyone that entered the 2012 "Make a Difference" Straight Up video contest! We will be postin the winning works over the next few weeks.
Winner, 1st place:
"PSA 2012" by Camilo Alvear (24) and Sean White (21)
Ventura
2nd place:
"Peer Pressure: Positive or Negative?" by Marisa Zaremba (16)
Simi Valley
3rd place:
"Take a Stand" by Giuliana Petrocelli (15)
Simi Valley
Go to the contest page
New Blog Posts
- Definitions -- "Tears don’t always mean you’re upset. They’re not always signs of giving up. The tears that pour from my misty eyes could be hope; Hoping that maybe, just maybe, one day you’ll stop." Read more
- Marijuana use on the rise, again -- According to the Associated Press as reported by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, 27% of teens have recently reported using marijuana in the past month, an 8% increase since 2008. Read more
"Be the DD and Win" Prize Posse now in Ventura AND Thousand Oaks!

Prize Posse will be out and about in Thousand Oaks on May 11, and again in Ventura on May 25! more