Broward Youth Coalition’s Impact to Our Community Is Rooted in Advocacy and Leadership
United Way of Broward County’s Broward Youth Coalition (BYC) is a dynamic initiative dedicated to empowering young leaders to advocate for substance use prevention and mental health promotion across our community.
Through education, leadership development, and community engagement, BYC equips middle- and high-school students with the tools and resources to make informed, healthy choices while fostering a culture of positive change.
BYC is more than just a youth organization — it is a movement that unites students across Broward County to become agents of change in their schools and neighborhoods. The coalition works to complement existing school programs and clubs, ensuring that youth voices are heard in discussions surrounding mental health awareness and drug prevention.
The coalition currently operates three school-based clubs at Atlantic Technical High School, Westglades Middle School, and Fort Lauderdale High School — along with a community-wide BYC club through our United Way’s Commission on Behavioral Health & Drug Prevention. These clubs provide students with opportunities to engage in meaningful volunteer work, network with community leaders, and explore college and career options.
BYC members lead by example, encouraging their peers to make healthy decisions and remain drug-free while navigating transitions in school, college, and future careers. The coalition offers a variety of programs designed to develop both personal and professional skills, ensuring that youth are well-equipped to handle life’s challenges.
One of BYC’s standout initiatives is its Youth Leadership Institute, which provides students with hands-on experience in self-care, advocacy, and leadership training. Through workshops and town hall meetings, members have open and constructive dialogue on pressing issues such as the vaping epidemic, online bullying, and stigma related to mental health.
BYC also participates in community service projects promoting wellness and inclusivity. For example, during Red Ribbon Week, members create baskets filled with positive affirmations and distribute them to students across Broward County. They also produce educational videos on prevention work, which are sent to the Florida State Capitol, amplifying youth voices in policymaking.
The coalition is led by an executive board of dedicated students who oversee its operations and initiatives. The 2024-2025 executive board for BYC includes:
President Vincent Ciullo (12th grade, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School)
Vice President Sudan Eubanks (12th grade, Cushman High School)
Secretary Sebastian Aleusledain (11th grade, Atlantic Technical High School)
Historian/Social Media Liaison Mahi Joshi (9th grade, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School)
Wellness Chair Aidan Vilama (10th grade, Somerset Prep North Lauderdale)
We recently had a conversation with Vincent Ciullo, BYC’s current president, about his years of participating in BYC and this initiative’s impact on our community.
Tell me about the journey you have had with BYC over the years.
Vincent: I joined BYC when I was in seventh grade at West Glades Middle School. Information about joining BYC was made during the morning announcements, like there was this new club they were starting, and the club was promoting drug use prevention and mental health awareness. I was really interested in it because it sounded like something that could really make a positive impact in our community. I wasn’t really in any other clubs at school, and I wanted to see if I could find my place at middle school because getting adjusted to it can be hard. BYC always has been a very welcoming and friendly club. Also, I liked that it was student-led rather than adult-led. As students, we make our own decisions about our goals and activities.
When I joined BYC, I realized quickly this is really something that I wanted to do, and I wanted to get more involved across the community by participating in all these different events BYC runs, like Alternative Spring Break and the Youth Leadership Institute. I’ve been on the executive board since 2020, I was the vice president of BYC last year, and this year, I became BYC’s president. Over the past seven years, I’ve been really involved with mental health and drug use awareness. I’ve been around situations where people are vaping or smoking or drinking, and it makes me uncomfortable. Being a part of BYC has helped me become educated about these risks, and as a result, I am much more aware of what’s going on around me.
How is BYC empowering young people in the community?
Vincent: Every June, hundreds of kids participate in YLI, which is short for Youth Leadership institute. Our focus is having fun, being inclusive, and being educated, and over a two-day period, we have a variety of activities for the kids who attend. And every year, we learn there really are no limits to what we can do to help people in our community. During YLI, we discuss topics like mental health, facts about drug abuse, substance-use prevention —but we really try to make it fun and engaging for everyone. Last year, in addition to our workshops on mental health and substance use, we did yoga, had activities related to drawing and creativity, and relaxed in Zen and mediation rooms.
What have been some of your memorable experiences with BYC?
Vincent: A lot of my favorite experiences really have come from recent years. I always enjoy Alternative Spring Break, and last year, there was a ropes course that we did at Tigertail Lake Recreational Center in Dania Beach. It was really fun because we did presentations and then we did the ropes course. Every year, YLI is great because we choose a theme. This year, the theme is about AI, which obviously has become a big thing. I really like being a part of different events and connecting with other people, and then helping people learn about what is affecting our community.
A few years ago, I did a presentation about the dangers of vaping, and as I did my research, I was surprised by the facts I read. There were a lot of shocking things I didn’t know, and I had been in BYC for few years. It’s interesting to learn about new things and the effects on our community. One good thing is I know a lot of kids in Broward who are not participating in these harmful activities. BYC really has been a rewarding experience because we are helping to prevent negative influences in our community.
What are your goals for the future, and has BYC been an influence with your plans for the future?
Vincent: Throughout my life, I always look for the positives, and I know BYC has helped me enhance this focus. I’m moving toward big steps right now by graduating soon and then going to college. When I go to Florida State University, I want to see if I can join an organization or club similar to BYC, specifically one helping the community and the well-being of people. At FSU, I plan to study meteorology, and by living in Broward, we see the disastrous effects of hurricanes and natural disasters. Meteorologists can make forecasts and help warn people about what could happen. I think this study is similar to what BYC does in that we want to help people and our community. I definitely have taken a lot of what I’ve learned in BYC and applied it to my personal experiences. BYC does more than help the people around you — it helps yourself, and it helps you look into your own present and future.
How can students get involved in BYC?
Vincent: Anyone from sixth grade to twelfth grade can join our BYC, and it’s something we say at every single meeting and every single event. We always promote our club to everybody around Broward County, and we’ve had so many new members over the years. It’s pretty amazing to see how so many young people are interested in the same things.
One great way to learn about what we do is to attend YLI — it is our biggest event of the year, and we promote it to other students across the entire year. I love that hundreds of students in Broward attend YLI every year. Anyone can attend, not just BYC members, and it’s free. I’m always so excited to see both familiar faces and new faces, and all the kids look so happy. I know all the activities we do are appealing to them. Although I’ll be leaving this year, I am proud of the foundation that we have built, and I’m excited to see where BYC goes in the future.
About 2025’s Youth Leadership Institute
United Way of Broward County’s Commission on Behavioral Health & Drug Prevention’s Broward Youth Coalition is hosting its annual Youth Leadership Institute — a free, two-day youth leadership summit focused on mental health promotion, public speaking, youth advocacy, and substance use prevention.
Participants will have the chance to earn community service hours and participate in fun ways for a chance to earn special prizes and giveaways. Pre-registration is required for both days. Limited space is available for Day 2.
What to expect: workshop with keynote speaker, singer, and songwriter Alexander Star; public speaking workshop presented by Renee Hope Cooper; optional sessions such as mindfulness, yoga and Zumba
For any questions about joining BYC or attending YLI, please contact Jenna at 954-453-3725 or email her at JStein@UnitedWayBroward.org
Image
EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE/TAPPING
By Aisha T. McDonald, LMHC Lead Trainer/Coordinator, United Way of Broward County
Recently someone disclosed to me that he was confused about what it meant to have Posttraumatic Stress (PTS) because so many individuals were “claiming that they had a history of trauma nowadays.” His confusion was genuine as he explained that he thought trauma only affected military veterans coming back from deployment, yet he seemed to be encountering what he referred to as “regular people saying they had PTS.”
Society’s view of PTS has typically been in line with this view, as for many years it had been the popularized concept of who was affected. In truth, trauma is the emotional response that occurs after any event that creates distress for the individual experiencing or witnessing it. It does not discriminate against race, ethnicity, gender identity, age or any other factor. The World Health Organization recognizes that PTS is increasingly becoming a leading cause of brain-based dysfunctions and mental illness across throughout the globe.
Internationally known trauma-healing expert Dr. Lori Leyden of the Create Global Healing organization defines the four conditions of trauma as anything that is unexpected or shocking; causes a sense of isolation, feelings of being trapped or not having resources; or an event that creates a real or perceived sense of death. She further defines trauma as a physiological process, a biochemical freeze response created in the brain and central nervous system when one is confronted with overwhelming fear.
In our continuing efforts to promote a community of resiliency, United Way of Broward County hosted Dr. Leyden as she facilitated a series of two-day Master Class trainings on the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and tapping for trauma relief. Clinical EFT/Tapping Technique is an evidence-based method of brain-based somatic release that is designed to assist the brain and body in returning to its natural resourceful and resilient state without further triggering trauma reactions.
Dr. Leyden believes that trauma focus is essential in relief, healing and recovery. Through the stimulation of certain acupressure points on the body, EFT/Tapping Technique is able to stop the fight/flight/freeze response that is triggered by traumatic memories. After properly tapping on precise points of the body, she explains, such traumatic memories will no longer carry an emotional intensity, thus allowing full healing from the original trauma.
In a community like ours, which has been affected by a series of traumatic incidences – including the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland – PTS can, indeed, be very real. An experience like Parkland not only affects those who directly experienced the shooting and witnessed the trauma, but also impacts the helpers and healers who work with affected individuals. With United Way training like EFT/Tapping Technique, we can add additional skills to our personal mental health tool belt and build a community of resiliency and healing.
