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Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth Awards Grant to SCAN for partnership with ACPS & Alexandria DCHS 

July 10, 2018

July 10, 2018–The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth has awarded a three-year, $150,000 grant to SCAN of Northern Virginia to support parent education and engagement that facilitates youth tobacco use prevention in the city. SCAN of Northern Virginia, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) will work together over the next three years to provide a series of Strengthening Families trainings in ACPS schools, Healthy Conversation forums for parents, and a variety of other public education and outreach events.

“We are thrilled that VFHY is continuing to support our work educating families about more effective parenting and the role it plays in reducing risk factors, as well as directly educating students about the dangers of tobacco and drug use,” said Marisol Morales, Parent Education Program Manager at SCAN of Northern Virginia.  SCAN received a similar grant from VFHY in 2015 to launch the program. During the first three years of the grant, SCAN reached 205 youth and 152 families with 12 series in both elementary and secondary schools throughout ACPS.

The Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE) at Alexandria City Public Schools will once again provide access to schools and outreach to parents in the district, as well as staff support during trainings. Alexandria DCHS will be responsible for implementing community awareness initiatives that build a school environment against youth tobacco use.

“Working with community partners like ACPS and DCHS, we have seen how our coordinated work can have an even greater impact on families in our community,” said Morales. “This grant is a valuable opportunity to reach students—where they are—as well as parents and other adults in the community who can connect with kids to make a difference.”

About SCAN of Northern Virginia
Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the well-being of children, improve parent-child relations and prevent child abuse and neglect. Our vision is that every child in Northern Virginia will grow up in a safe, stable, nurturing family, with the supports they need to contribute to stronger communities today and as adults tomorrow. We EDUCATE the community about the scope, nature and consequences of child abuse and neglect and the importance of positive, nurturing parenting; PROVIDE direct parent education; and ADVOCATE for children in the community, the legislature and the courts. Learn more about SCAN at www.scanva.org  @scanofnova

 About the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY)
Established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1999, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth is responsible for statewide efforts to prevent and reduce youth tobacco use, childhood obesity and substance use. Since the Foundation began its work in 2001, youth smoking in Virginia has been cut more than 75 percent! VFHY directly reaches about 50,000 children each year through classroom-based prevention programs in public schools, after-school programs, community centers, daycares and other youth centers across the state. VFHY’s award-winning marketing campaign delivers prevention messages to more than 450,000 children annually. For more information about the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, please visit https://www.vfhy.org/.

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Sarah Self, Public Education Coordinator
SCAN of Northern Virginia
[email protected]

Richard Foster, Public Affairs Manager
Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
804-225-3947 direct, 804-497-0871 mobile
[email protected]