Northern Lights: Securing a bright future for youth in Northern British Columbia through The Icelandic Prevention Model

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The Northern Health Child & Youth Service Network has received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada through its Youth Substance Use Prevention Program Stream 1: Incubator and Capacity Building Funding. The objective of this funding is to build capacity in communities across Canada to implement an upstream youth substance use prevention approach that follows the guiding principles and key steps of the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM). We are very excited about working together with youth and community partners to secure a bright future for youth, starting with our first pilot site in northern BC, the Robson Valley.

Our vision is that every community in northern British Columbia will be a safe space where youth have opportunities to grow, learn and thrive. The purpose of this webpage is to build awareness about upstream prevention, share how the IPM is being adopted in northern BC, and provide updates from the pilot project in the Robson Valley.

The Northern Health Child & Youth Service Network has received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada through its Youth Substance Use Prevention Program Stream 1: Incubator and Capacity Building Funding. The objective of this funding is to build capacity in communities across Canada to implement an upstream youth substance use prevention approach that follows the guiding principles and key steps of the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM). We are very excited about working together with youth and community partners to secure a bright future for youth, starting with our first pilot site in northern BC, the Robson Valley.

Our vision is that every community in northern British Columbia will be a safe space where youth have opportunities to grow, learn and thrive. The purpose of this webpage is to build awareness about upstream prevention, share how the IPM is being adopted in northern BC, and provide updates from the pilot project in the Robson Valley.

  • A Year in Review

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    Over the last year, the communities making up the Robson Valley have been working towards completing steps 1-3 of the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM), with a vision of creating a healthy environment for children and youth that reduces substance use and promotes overall health and well-being. The first three steps of the IPM consist of: Local Coalition Identification, Local Development and Capacity Building, and Community Engagement.


    Using the IPM as a foundational guide the Robson Valley has successfully:

    • Hired a local lead with protected time to facilitate work related to the project
    • Formed a robust coalition with representation from school, health, local government, Indigenous partners and knowledge holders, parents, youth, business owners, and community services organizations
    • Provided multiple opportunities for engagement at the school and community level, including, pizza lunches, high-school lock-in, parent education evening, community dinner, and youth mental health summit
    • Co-designed a vision for the Robson Valley, where youth thrive, through collaborative resource mapping and identification of barriers faced by youth in the community

    Youth engagement has been foundational to the implementation of the IPM in the Robson Valley. The project team has been privileged to work with young people as partners in designing and determining approaches to prevention. Youth as facilitators and leaders on the local coalition have been instrumental in strengthening collaboration across systems.

    What to expect in the next 6 months:

    As we come into the last leg of the 18 month grant to pilot this initiative, we plan to maintain momentum with youth and community engagement through planned events over the summer. We will also continue to strengthen relationships with community and regional partners to build a sustainable infrastructure where upstream prevention is embedded at the community level.

    Get involved:

    To learn more about the local capacity building and engagement events, or to join the coalition, visit the Robson Valley community page: https://valsweb.digication.com/planet-youth-robson-valley/home

    If you are interested in increasing capacity and readiness of your community for youth substance use prevention please reach out to the Child and Youth Service Network at childyouthhealth@northernhealth.ca

  • Read Project Updates

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Page last updated: 29 May 2025, 04:32 PM