Health Improvement Plan
M
BeWell Saginaw

The Ripple Effect

Your Voice. Your Message. Your Impact.

What do you want your friends to know about weed, alcohol, vaping and other drugs? We’re challenging you to use your creativity and your voice to help your peers understand the real risks of substance use. Create a poem, video, song, rap, skit, artwork—or whatever creative format speaks to you. No lectures. No boring presentations. Just your message, your way. 

Deadline:

Friday, October 23, 2026

Submit Online:

(SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW)

Or By Hand To:

Saginaw County Health Department/Health Advisory Council, Room 305 (c/o Kristin), 1600 N. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602

Prize:

10 $500 stipends to winning student entries.
Your creativity could make someone think twice, make a healthier choice, or help a friend see things differently.

Keep These Thoughts In Mind:

  • What negative impacts can alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, vaping and other drugs have on your body, brain and future?
  • What facts or risks do people your age often not know?
  • What is the most compelling kind of message – effects on athletic performance, school work, mental health, relationships?
  • How can one choice about marijuana, vaping or alcohol ripple outward to impact your health, friends, family, and future?

Instructions for Entering

Submission Requirements

  • Open to students in grades 9-12 in Saginaw County.
  • Audience is fellow 9th-12th graders.
  • Final product 2 minutes or less.
  • Accepted creative formats include poetry, short-form/TikTok-style video, dramatization or skit, rap, song lyrics, artwork or poster, fashion or apparel.

Review, Judging, and Recognition

Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • Creativity – an original, engaging idea and execution
  • Innovation – a fresh approach or angle that stands out
  • Staying on theme – clearly connects The Ripple Effect and the issue is addresses
  • Potential impact – how likely is the message to resonate with and influence other students

The top 10 entries will each receive a $500 stipend.

KNOW THE FACTS: Marijuana, Vaping, Alcohol & Smoking

How to Submit an Entry

Choose one of the following submission options:

Option 1: Online Submission

  1. Complete the Student Entry Application & Consent Form (pdf), including all required student, parent/guardian, and teacher signatures.
  2. Complete the online submission form below.
  3. Upload both:
      • Your completed and signed Entry Application & Consent Form
      • Your creative entry
  4. Submit your entry online.

Option 2: Hand-Carry Submission

  1. Complete the Student Entry Application & Consent Form (pdf), including all required student, parent/guardian, and teacher signatures. (Ask your school liaison for a printed copy if needed.)
  2. Place your completed application and creative entry together.
  3. Drop off your entry at either:
      • Your school liaison, or
      • Saginaw County Health Department/Health Advisory Council, Room 305 (c/o Kristin), 1600 N. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602.
  4. Be sure to submit both the completed application and your creative entry.
More about the Ripple Effect

The Ripple Effect is a youth engagement and substance-prevention initiative designed to close an information gap identified by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Subcommittee of the Saginaw County Health Department Health Advisory Council.

Students have reported that they understand the dangers of tobacco but have less clear information about marijuana, particularly because recreational marijuana is legal for adults in Michigan. The project also addresses alcohol, vaping, and other drugs.

Rather than relying on adult-authored warnings, the initiative invites young people to create prevention messages for their peers. The central idea is that one decision can create a ripple effect across a student’s health, future, family, friends, school, and community.

Project Goal

Increase youth awareness of the harmful effects of marijuana, alcohol, vaping, and other drugs through credible, youth-created, peer-to-peer prevention messages.

Year 1 Objectives

  • Elevate youth voice by making students the creators of prevention messaging.
  • Engage participating Saginaw County school districts in a common prevention campaign.
  • Generate polished student content that can be reused in school and community settings.
  • Provide students with accurate supportive information about substance-related effects on the brain, body, mental health, behavior, academics, athletics, and future opportunities.
  • Recognize strong student work and extend the reach of selected messages through countywide communications.

Long-Term Desired Impact

Contribute to reductions in youth marijuana, alcohol, vaping, and other drug use and associated negative health, academic, behavioral, and community outcomes. Long-term impact should be treated as a broader public-health objective rather than a result attributable to the contest alone.