Lee’s Summit CARES advisory board helps teens form building blocks for success

In middle school, many youth pick up dangerously bad habits.

That’s why the Lee’s Summit CARES Youth Advisory Board is expanding in 2020. The group, currently open to students in grades 9 to 12, will soon include middle-schoolers.

Lee’s Summit CARES youth outreach coordinator Tiffany Weyant explains the move will help get their message of substance abuse and violence prevention to a place where they see a growing need.

“We’ve noticed our middle schools need the message. That’s when a lot of drug and alcohol use starts. I think it will be helpful to have those conversations earlier to help create change there,” Weyant said.

A youth advisory board for Lee’s Summit CARES has been in place since 2002. Board members agree to meet regularly and participate in leadership training, volunteer campaigns, public speaking and activities. They advocate with other students across Missouri in the annual Jefferson City Speak Hard youth advocacy conference and make other presentations about drug, alcohol and suicide prevention within the Lee’s Summit community.

Rylee Weiboldt had just started homeschooling when she found out about the opportunity to be a part of the Lee’s Summit CARES Youth Advisory Board. It seemed like a good way to get to know people.

“I was just trying to find an activity to meet my schedule and meet people outside of home-school,” Weiboldt said.

The high school sophomore found out she liked the work, which pushed her out of her comfort zone to become a public speaker. Weiboldt is in her second year of serving on the board. She enjoyed getting to go to Jefferson City to talk with lawmakers and working with other advisory board members to inform area leaders about how to help teens have building blocks for success.

“I feel like it’s good for them to hear from a different perspective. I feel like the message is received, maybe not the way we always intend, but I feel like it is received,” Weiboldt said.

Weyant says the teens do not have to live in the Lee’s Summit area to be accepted for the board, but most do. Right now, the 14-member board includes students from Lee’s Summit West, Lee’s Summit High School, Lee’s Summit North, Lee’s Summit Christian Academy and Blue Springs South. Students must have a recommendation from a teacher and commit to being drug and alcohol free.

“A lot of our students are really motivated. They are the students in our community living drug- and alcohol-free lifestyles, and they want to encourage their peers to do the same,” Weyant said.

While the group has met in the past only once monthly, Weyant plans twice monthly meetings in the new school year. She hopes it will allow the students more time for training and to find out about roundtables, panel discussions and outreach opportunities.

Weiboldt says she is glad she got involved because it has helped her make a difference in her community.

“Whether you go off to college or stay in Lee’s Summit you can know you’ve helped with mental health, drug and alcohol prevention. It is just being able to know you’ve made an impact in the community, now,” Weiboldt said.

Applications for teens who want to participate in the Lee’s Summit CARES Youth Advisory Board are available at the organization’s website, www.lscares.org. They are open to students currently in grades 7 to 11 and are due by May 22.

A recruitment event from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Pro Deo Youth Center, 214 N.E. Chipman Road, also will provide students the opportunity to learn more about the board. Tacos, snacks and games will be available; no RSVP is required.

This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 1:56 PM.