Austin Positive Action Coalition

APAC - Austin Positive Action Coalition was created as a result of a 5-year P & I grant focused on reducing alcohol use by using Positive Community Norms (PCN) messages.  These messages are part of our Truth is Austin media campaign that will promote these PCN messages throughout the Austin community.  In addition, our grant will give us the opportunity to enhance prevention curriculum in the schools and establish a student positive action group.  This student group will allow young people to organize and implement positive chemical free activities as well as give them leadership opportunities.  The grant is made possible by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Behavioral Health Division and hosted locally by the Parenting Resource Center (PRC).

POSITIVE COMMUNITY NORMS
The Positive Community Norms (PCN) approach to improving community health is a transformational model founded upon The Science of the Positive (SOTP). The Seven Step Montana Model for Positive Community Norms Communication (Linkenbach 1998, 2003) uses the Core Principles of the Science of the Positive to grow positive norms through leadership development, communications strategies, integration of prevention resources, and structured reflection. PCN cultivates cultural transformation by working on multiple community levels and factors at once. This framework has shown itself to be extremely effective in creating meaningful social change around health and safety issues including traffic safety, underage drinking, binge drinking, child maltreatment, and many others.