STYCtalks Empowering Young Voices

The work of prevention—of substance use, of violence, of suicide—can’t pause because a lease ends. And yet, here we are. STYC, a coalition built on 10 years of youth-centered advocacy, education, and intervention, has been displaced from our physical space to make room for an affordable housing development. We support housing deeply. We recognize the importance of providing stable housing for the families in our service area. But it’s also true that prevention work needs a place to live, too. We serve neighborhoods where trauma lives, where opportunity feels miles away, and where youth are making life-and-death decisions without enough guidance or support. Yet, in the very area where we are needed most, there's no office space available for us to continue that work. STYC isn’t a large nonprofit with deep pockets or national branding. We are small, rooted, and nimble. Our power has always come from the people—the youth advocates who run workshops, the parents who show up, the par...

The recent emergency suspension of a Germantown bar—where more than 100 underage patrons were reportedly present and actively drinking—has stirred concern across our city. Rightfully so. But for many of us working on the front lines of prevention, this isn’t a surprising event. It’s a consequence of what happens when prevention is not prioritized. At STYC, we’ve seen what happens when underage drinking is dismissed as a rite of passage. And we’ve seen what can happen when a community says “enough.” That’s why, for nearly 10 years, we’ve been conducting compliance checks with local retailers to ensure that alcohol and tobacco aren’t being sold to youth. Our coalition includes youth leaders, parents, law enforcement, and community partners who believe that access to substances should never be this easy—or this common. These checks aren’t about punishment. They’re about prevention. They are reminders to businesses that they play a role in the safety of our children. They also help c...