The following four components provide learning opportunities for collaboration, development of leadership capabilities, adult and peer partnerships, and the development of safe environments.

I. Chapters

A chapter consists of a group of young people, along with an adult advisor, who work together to make positive change in their school and community. The chapter is youth-driven and youth-led and serves as the center of communication, training, and learning opportunities. Chapter members develop a mission statement and an action plan to guide their work to become advocates for positive change in their school and community. OCFNLP staff provide technical assistance and support for chapter development and remain in contact with the students and advisor(s) on a continuous basis.

II. Outreach

Through outreach, FNL seeks to involve young people from various backgrounds, communities, and environments. Chapter members often host recruitment rallies and club days and create bulletins, flyers, or other means of advertising to generate youth interest. Outreach enhances the quality of the FNL experience by being inclusive in meeting the needs of all participating youth. Chapters also extend outreach to community members giving youth the opportunity to build meaningful partnerships.

III. Skill Development

Skill development occurs while youth participate in conferences and trainings, develop chapter goals, and plan school and community events. These meaningful opportunities build skills in relevant areas such as leadership; organization; alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence prevention; cultural sensitivity; and life skills. These skills combine to develop healthy, competent, and caring adults.

IV. Opportunities

Opportunities include involvement in school and community activities that are positive alternatives to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. Many of these activities use a strategy called environmental prevention, which encourages youth to look at settings that contribute to or cause problems related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and violence. To address these problems, chapter members develop activities that create positive, long-lasting change in their schools and communities. Through this process youth develop a sense of bonding and connection to their school and community.