News and Events

SWAT Recruitment Event Kicks Off 2015-2016 School Year!
September 1, 2015

VERO BEACH – SWAT students and advisors made a strong start for 2015-16! In late August, youth and adults worked diligently to make SWAT’s Summer Outreach and Recruitment event a success. As a result, a new Advisor is starting a new SWAT Club at Storm Grove Middle School!

SWAT students and advisors spoke with over 150 youth and families attending a Back to School recruitment event hosted by the Indian River Education Foundation on the grounds of Riverside Theater August 22, 2015.

SWAT Recruitment Event
Nicholas and Luis Sanchez share information on the Indian River SWAT Chapter.

While recruiting efforts were successful in getting middle and high school students interested in joining SWAT, one adult was interested enough to start mentoring a new SWAT Club!  After speaking with Oslo Middle School SWAT Advisor Marie Blanchard during the event, Lateshia Henry, a teacher at Storm Grove Middle School became enthusiastic about starting Indian River’s newest SWAT club.  Asked what motivated her, Ms. Henry said, “It is one way I have of giving back to the community”. With her help, middle school youth will educate themselves and their peers about many different ways the tobacco industry manipulates youth into experimenting with their products.

SWAT youth are planning and executing anti-tobacco activities in each of Florida’s 67 counties every year. It is a youth led organization representing students statewide. Every month SWAT clubs all over Florida meet through conference call and exchange ideas that will further de-glamourize the tobacco industry.

Indian River County is part of Region 4 that includes the southern part of the state from Indian River County to Key West. SWAT is Florida’s statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate, and equip Florida’s youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working toward a tobacco free future.

To find out more about how you can join or support the efforts of SWAT go to www.tfp-indianriver.org/swat.html.