UpRISE is Colorado’s youth tobacco control movement. In their work, they amplify youth voices to create a culture of health equity in Colorado. UpRISE funds 20 youth-serving organizations and schools to host youth coalitions, engaging youth disproportionately targeted by the tobacco industry. The UpRISE model focuses on amplifying the voices and needs of young people who are pushed to the margins or silenced in our systems to identify the root causes of nicotine use. Coalitions can select from four dynamic opportunities: Moving from Awareness to Action, Getting to the Root Cause, and Understanding your decision-making landscape and organizing for change. Since starting in 2018, UpRISE has supported more than 40 organizations and over 1000 young people. Youth have identified that lack of belonging and support from adults, discrimination, and tobacco industry targeting are root causes of youth nicotine use. You can read more about UpRISE and their first year evaluation findings in Health Promotion Practice. We're thrilled to uplift the fabulous work of UpRISE and their youth advocates!   

Kennedy, H., Trujillo, M., Ryan, A., Cooley, D., Martinez, D., McNair, B., & Hunt, C. (2023). Identifying Root Causes: Evaluation of a Program to Engage Youth in a Social Justice Approach to Tobacco Control. Health Promotion Practice, 24(6), 1151-1162.