WELCOME

TASK is Kansas’ youth-led movement that promotes tobacco free teens and unites communities to create one strong voice standing against the tobacco industry. TASK’s current initiative focuses on reducing tobacco use by Kansas teens and works to establish teen regional boards in the Eastern, Central, and Western regions of Kansas.

Youth Mini-Grant Opportunities Available

Grants up to $1,250 are available for Kansas Youth Groups (ages 12-18) to create youth-led media projects and other activities that focus on protecting themselves and their peers from becoming addicted to cigarettes and tobacco products.  Applications are saved in Rich Text Format and should be compatible with most programming applications.  Several types of funding sources are providing these youth grant opportunities.  All applications are due to Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition on Friday, May 22.  Grant awards will be announced on May 29, 2009.  Grant cycle runs June 1 through October 31, 2009.

• Statewide Youth Grant Application (for youth groups across the state that aren't included in the counties/regions below)
• North Central Kansas Application (for youth groups in: Washington, Riley, Cloud, Clay, Republic, Lincoln, Mitchell, Jewell, Dickinson and Ottawa Counties)
• Southeast Kansas Application (for youth groups in: Bourbon, Allen, Neosho, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery and Cherokee Counties)
• Southwest Kansas Application (for youth groups in: Scott, Lane, Hodgeman, Ness, Meade, Gray, Haskell, Grant, Kearny, Finney and Wichita Counties

Congratulations to the following TASK youth groups for their work on planning and writing grant proposals. Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition has received funding from the American Legacy Foundation® and the Kansas Health Foundation to empower youth through TASK tobacco prevention activities. We look forward to seeing the creative media projects our youth will produce as part of this grant. Click here for more information on this youth project.

TASK Web Project Disclaimer

The Magical Amount
Part of “The Truth” anti-smoking ads, fairytale creatures sing about how the tobacco companies put just the right amount of nicotine in cigarettes to get people hooked. View video here.

TASK- Smokeless Does Not Mean Harmless

Kansas has a higher than average use of smokeless tobacco among high school males. According to the 2002 Kansas Youth Tobacco Survey approximately one out of every three youth do not know that smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. This shows a great need to increase teens’ knowledge about smokeless tobacco!

• Targets youth ages 12-17 in an effort to educate and prevent smokeless tobacco use and encourage quitting.
• Local youth groups participated in creative trainings designed to promote quitting and decrease the likelihood of youth starting to use smokeless tobacco.
• Mini-grants were awarded to local youth groups to create counter-marketing messages and to promote tobacco-free county fairs and rodeos in each of the three regions.