The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) held a youth assembly to echo the message of The Facts. Your Future. First Lady Casey DeSantis’ multi-faceted, scientifically based, campaign to provide Florida’s youth with the facts surrounding substance use and the lasting negative impacts it can have on their lives. This assembly follows the framework used for The Facts. Your Future. school assemblies, the free assemblies toolkit can be found here. The assembly kicked off DJJ’s 2022 ‘Unleashing You’ Youth Summit.
“First Lady DeSantis is a champion for resiliency in support of Florida’s youth and The Facts. Your Future. is just another example of how she is empowering our young people with the information needed to understand the devasting impact substance abuse can have on their lives,” said DJJ Secretary Eric Hall. “We will continue to work with the First Lady as well as our state and local partners to better inform and protect our children and teens from substance abuse addiction.”
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice brought together Florida Department of Education Senior Chancellor Jacob Oliva, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, and other state leaders working to combat youth substance abuse and share its impact on everyday Floridians.
“First Lady Casey DeSantis is blazing a trail for state leaders and partners to educate students about the devastating consequences of addiction,” said Senior Chancellor Jacob Oliva. “By providing students with the facts about these harmful substances, we are encouraging them to make better decisions to positively impact their futures.”
“I am proud to stand alongside First Lady DeSantis and our community leaders to address the devastating impact substance abuse is having on our youth,” said Sheriff Dennis Lemma. “The Facts. Your Future. campaign provides our young people with the tools they need to fight against the challenges they are faced with every day.”
The 2022 ‘Unleashing You’ Youth Summit is DJJ’s inaugural event specifically for at-risk students. The one-day event hosted over 300 students from around the state between the ages of 9-17.
