Champions for Youth Summit

Bringing together prevention leaders to learn, connect, and inspire healthier futures for young people

Thank you for joining us at CFY26. Stay connected for future Summit updates, resources, and conversations.

Keep the Conversation Going

The Champions for Youth Podcast brings together prevention leaders, experts and changemakers working to improve the health and well-being of young people. Explore practical insights, emerging trends and ideas you can put into action in your community.

Champions for Youth Podcast

The Champions for Youth Podcast brings together trailblazers in youth advocacy, education, and public health at the forefront of creating impactful change as they reveal their motivations to take action and strategies that make a difference in their communities.

Join us for inspirational bi-monthly conversations to empower any youth-facing professional with actionable insights for combatting health behavior challenges youth face in communities every day.

How can prevention professionals stay ahead as new nicotine products emerge and marketing reaches young people across social media, gaming, and other digital platforms?

In this episode, we unpack how the tobacco and nicotine product landscape has expanded from cigarettes to newer products like vapes and nicotine pouches, while many of the strategies used to market them to young people remain the same. We discuss how to use evidence-based messaging to reach youth where they are, why health disparities across communities must be addressed as part of tobacco prevention efforts, and the importance of celebrating — and elevating — wins while keeping an eye on the long game.

Follow Champions for Youth on social to stay connected between episodes and explore resources shared by youth-serving leaders nationwide.

Have feedback or a topic you’d like us to cover? Submit your ideas at vfhy.org/podcast — we’d love to hear from you.

Staying Ahead in Youth Tobacco Prevention: New Nicotine Products, Same Marketing Playbook with Dr. Brian King of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

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Staying Ahead in Youth Tobacco Prevention: New Nicotine Products, Same Marketing Playbook with Dr. Brian King of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

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Learn. Connect.Inspire Change.

This dynamic event brings together hundreds of professionals from across the country who are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of youth and young adults.

Strengthen Youth Health Across Communities

Explore innovative strategies and best practices addressing critical issues such as tobacco and nicotine use, substance use, childhood obesity, and other intersecting youth health challenges.

Looking Back at CFY26

For three days, Champions for Youth brought together passionate professionals committed to helping young people thrive. Through inspiring speakers, practical learning, and meaningful connection, attendees shared ideas and explored strategies to strengthen prevention and youth well-being across Virginia and beyond.

420+

Attendees

Days of learning

Sessions

Speakers

CFY26 Featured Speakers

Learn from industry leaders and youth development experts

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Be the First to Know What’s Next

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Who the Summit Is For

Champions for Youth is designed for professionals working with and for young people.

Educators

Teachers, administrators, and education professionals

Nonprofit Leaders

Directors and staff of youth-serving organizations

Social Workers

Mental health and social service professionals

Policymakers

Government officials and community leaders

Thank You to Our CFY26 Sponsors

Supporting our mission to empower youth across the nation

Champion

Visionary

Partner

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Food Recovery Partner

We're proud to partner with Food Recovery Network.

Together, we will redirect surplus food from the Summit to local organizations that feed people experiencing hunger.

Food Recovery Network is the largest student-led movement recovering surplus food and ending hunger in the U.S., uniting 8,000+ college students, food suppliers, farmers, and local businesses across the U.S. in the fight against climate change and hunger.

24M

pounds of food recovered

20M

meals donated

350

partners serving local communities