It Pays to Know the PAYS: An Overview of the PA Youth Survey

Every two years, most schools in Pennsylvania administer the PA Youth Survey to students in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades in order to understand their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors when it comes to substance use, mental health, school safety, and other concerns. The 2023 data represents 262,000+ students across the state, offering valuable insights that allow us to design prevention programs that are both evidence-based and strategically targeted.

Join us virtually for this overview of the 2023 state-wide data, which helps us to understand not only how youth are behaving, but also the underlying beliefs, social pressures, and environmental factors that may be shaping their choices. Our youth are telling us their story; our first step in supporting them is to listen.

Free virtual, lunch-n-learn webinar. Certificates of completion available upon request. 

Presenters

Shannon DiCandilo, MEd is Compass Mark’s program manager for Chester County, where she oversees our network of prevention programs in schools and the community. She has a strong passion for education and prevention, especially with younger populations. Shannon earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Elementary Education from West Chester University and has almost two decades of experience in the education field.

Shannon has also spent over a decade in nonprofit work, directly supporting her community throughout Chester and Montgomery Counties. She is dedicated to empowering our youth to create positive change in our world.

Amy Sechrist, CPS is a communications coordinator and prevention specialist with Compass Mark. In addition to providing information & referral services around addiction, she creates prevention messaging that promotes healthy behavior change. Amy has a BA in fine art from Bard College, and has volunteered her time over the past two decades for Lancaster County organizations including Compeer Lancaster, Mental Health America, Lancaster County Recovery Alliance, and NAACP Lancaster.

Amy is passionate about helping individuals and their loved ones navigate treatment and recovery systems as well as communicating addiction concepts in a way that resonates with the public.

Questions to Amy at asechrist@compassmark.org