Adolescence is a time when young people’s brains are changing and developing rapidly, causing them to approach decision‐making in new and different ways. Understanding how youth think about risks and choices around substance use, relationships, sexuality, and other health behaviors is key to developing prevention approaches that are truly effective. This training is geared for a wide range of professionals working with youth around behavior change, risk reduction, and health promotion.

Participants who complete this workshop will be able to:

• Understand ways in which brain development affects the ways that adolescents perceive risk and decision‐ making.
• Recognize common pitfalls that may make prevention messaging less effective for young people.
• Identify developmentally‐appropriate strategies for supporting healthy decision‐making and risk reduction.
• Practice creating youth prevention messaging around a variety of health topics.