Youth keeping an eye on other youth. What a great idea.

That is what the Barton County Youth Crew is all about. Youth in Barton County are looking out for other youth when it comes to substance use and other issues teens face today.

The student-driven program is in its sixth year locally, with monthly meetings in Great Bend, Hoisington and Ellinwood.

“We are a program designed for teens in Barton County to learn more about substance use and how to work with your peers,” Tyler Morton said.

Morton heads the Barton County Youth Crew, or BCYC. The nonprofit is in year six of a 10-year Drug-Free Communities grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Youth Crew has three core pillars: education, community service and substance-free events.

The main focus is alcohol and marijuana use. The group also studies trends with regard to vaping, opioid use and other harmful substances.

“The trajectory moves upward as they go from grades 6 to 12,” Morton said. “In past years we were higher than the state average. We try to get prevention into the community to help us get the numbers down.”

Activities in each quarter of the calendar year help get the word out.

One of the most notable events happens just before school starts in early August.

The “Kick the Habit” kickball tournament started in 2022 when Youth Crew students — working with the Barton County Health Department and a $300 mini-grant — came up with the concept of literally “kicking the habit” of tobacco, nicotine and vaping by playing kickball.

This past summer, Stepping Stones to Recovery provided the umpires for the event, and [Barton] soccer and volleyball players volunteered as pitchers and filled in on teams. About 100 players and spectators were at this year’s event.

“It is a really fun event,” Morton said. “We are planning a big announcement [coming up for as] we work on partnership for the event in 2027.”

Another fun event the BCYC hosted was the “Lay off Tobacco” event. Well, it could be spelled the “Lei off Tobacco” event.

It coincides with the Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action each spring. The Lei off Tobacco campaign was sparked by Youth Crew members who wanted a fun, visible way to unite students against vaping and tobacco with a simple gesture — wearing a Hawaiian lei.

Students handed out nearly 1,000 Hawaiian leis to students and faculty at Great Bend High School.

“One student did tell a Youth Crew member that she put her lei in her car as a good reminder for them to stay away from tobacco products,” Morton said.

In late February or early March, the Barton County Youth Crew will make a trip to the Capitol in Topeka for Youth Mental Health Advocacy Day.

“It allows the students to advocate for what they want to see,” Morton said. “They talk about laws and what is going on in their schools and in the community.”

The core purpose is giving middle and high school students a seat at the table to speak directly with the state legislators who make decisions affecting their schools and hometowns. They will talk to representatives and senators about what they are seeing — the prevalence of vaping and nicotine marketing targeting teens, substance use pressures or youth mental health needs — and advocate for policies that protect young people.

“Vaping is still very prevalent and there is quite a bit of marijuana use,” Morton said of the teens locally. “A lot of the youth want to make a case that marijuana should be legal, but that is irrelevant. Whether or not it is legal, they would still not be of legal age.

“Not only is it hazardous to your overall health, but in general, your mind is still developing into your mid-20s and we are seeing more and more negative mental health consequences.”

Another activity the Youth Crew helps with is Egg-a-Palooza. The Youth Crew organized it to deliver a positive, substance-free boost to local students during the final stretch of the school year.

Held around Easter, it comes roughly a month before school lets out for the summer. It gives the Youth Crew a positive connection and visible presence across Great Bend, Hoisington and Ellinwood.

“They wanted to pass out Easter eggs to each of the schools with candy and a positive message for a quick pick-me-up,” Morton said. “It helps to energize the students as they enter their last month of school.”

It helps turn a simple seasonal treat into a moment of peer connection and awareness about the club.

Youth Crew members are visible around town in a variety of ways. They will be out helping with the Trail of Lights at Brit Spaugh Zoo on Dec. 2 and 3.

The Youth Crew is also part of Reality U with United Way of Central Kansas, as well as the All-Stars program, which works with sixth graders throughout Barton County to learn about healthy habits, reputation and forward, future-thinking skills.

There are currently 25 members in Great Bend. That number is lower than in previous years. One reason is that a chunk of the roster from previous years has moved into high school and started participating in other prosocial activities that were not offered at the middle school level. So far, about 300 kids have come through some sort of activity or youth group event. The biggest active roster was about 50 kids.

“We are always looking for community service projects to partner with. To give the kids an opportunity,” Morton said. “Pilot clubs, other nonprofits, schools, churches, youth groups. We want to continue to support and help with projects.”