Our offices will be closed for the holidays on Dec. 24 & 25, and on Dec. 31 & Jan. 1. If you need immediate help for addiction, please visit our Get Help Now page for links to hotlines and treatment providers.
Every summer, COCA's Prevention Team provides free prevention programming to Berks County summer camps, playgrounds and and youth programs. Activities are suitable for ages 5-12 and can be adjusted for youth 12-14. Contact Alicia to get your summer camp involved.
GOALS (Gaining Options and Learning Skills)
It’s the summer of GOALS and COCA is helping youth reach their goals by providing education on brain health, managing stress and emotions, decision making, refusal skills, and strategies to avoid vaping and nicotine. Our summer GOALS program is designed to provide prevention education that utilizes inclusive and enjoyable activities that teach youth the skills needed to avoid substances and lead healthy lives.
The GOALS program includes 4 lessons:
The Brain Games – This highly interactive program engages youth with a series of physical and mental challenges to provide education on our overall brain health. Keeping the body healthy includes our physical and mental health and the brain is responsible for both! This lesson teaches youth how keeping the brain healthy keeps the body healthy. Youth also learn the importance of avoiding substances to assure healthy brain development and experience a happy, successful life. Youth win gold medals for their brain health achievements!
Escape the Vape – With the increase in youth vaping, early education on the dangers of vaping and nicotine is needed to prevent further increase and protect our youth. An addiction to nicotine increases the risk of youth developing other substance use disorders. The lesson teaches youth to escape the dangers of vaping by providing an understanding of the health risk associated with vaping and nicotine, knowledge of the dangerous chemicals contained in electronic cigarettes and the truth behind vaping messaging and advertising. Escape the Vape utilizes several activities to keep youth engaged.
Let’s take a Selfie – No, this is not a technology program! Let’s Take a Selfie helps youth understand the importance of self-care and managing stress and emotions. Providing youth with alternatives or healthy skills to manage stress and emotions helps to prevent substance use or other unhealthy behaviors such as self-harm or violence. This lesson offers youth the opportunity to build critical thinking skills as they navigate through different scenarios, learning what makes them feel emotions and what it means to practice self-care at school, in public, and at home. Youth also engage in activities, such as, Stress Jenga to show the importance of managing stress, and deep breathing and mindful exercises as examples of self-care. The lesson ends with Youth creating a Better Day Box to take home. A Better Day Box is a box for youth to store healthy items they can use to help manage emotions or practice self-care.
GOALS for Life – For youth, learning to assess risk and formulate healthy decision-making strategies assists in strengthening healthy brain development. During this lesson, youth play GOALS, a giant board game developed by COCA as a fun activity to engage youth as they develop decision making and refusal skills. The game teaches youth how to set goals, gain options, and use different skills to help achieve their life goals.
