The goal of the Prevention Summit is to provide an enriching and culturally competent training and networking opportunity for youth, volunteers and professionals working toward prevention of substance abuse, violence and other destructive behaviors. We want to reach the continuum of highly experienced youth and adults from diverse backgrounds to those that are new in the field, and continue to build on our foundation of success in Washington State

History
The prevention community in Washington State has been convening annually since the 1980’s. The initial conferences were held in Ellensburg, Washington, on the campus of Central Washington University. The conferences were known as “family focus” meetings, and soon after became known as the annual “Building a Vision” conference. After a few name changes in the late 1990’s, the annual conference was renamed in 1999 as the Washington State Prevention Summit. Despite changes over time in name, location and leadership planning, the spirit of the annual Summit has remained constant. It is the one time during the year when the prevention community can come together, reflect on the past year’s successes, learn new strategies, and network with a variety of people–including parents, children, teachers, law enforcement officials, prevention professionals, treatment providers, policy makers, college faculty, students and dedicated volunteers who are all interested in preventing alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse in Washington State .

Who Should Attend

• Middle and high school students
• Youth
• Parents
• Prevention providers
• School personnel
• Government agencies
• Law enforcement personnel
• Youth service providers
• Policy makers
• Treatment providers
• Coalition leaders and members
• Counselors
• Social Workers