Welcome to the Friday Harbor Youth Coalition

Our Mission

Our mission at the Friday Harbor Youth Coalition is to strengthen community resilience and empower youth to make healthy choices.

We’re here to help our local youth make healthy choices and feel supported as they grow up. The Friday Harbor Youth Coalition is part of a statewide effort called the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI), supported by Washington State’s Health Care Authority.

We focus on preventing underage use of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, opioids, and other substances by working together as a community. We use proven strategies and believe the best way to support young people is by building on the strengths that already exist in our schools, families, and neighborhoods.

Our goal? To help every young person in Friday Harbor grow up healthy, confident, and surrounded by people who care. We’re here to support them—and the whole community—every step of the way.

Who We Are

Mission and Values

We are guided by our commitment to being accessible, cooperative, dynamic, healthy, inclusive and knowledgeable.

We prioritize elevating the strengths of our community and working with community partners to channel these strengths into enhancing community protective factors.

Our History

The San Juan Island Prevention Coalition (SJIPC) started in 2003 after receiving federal Drug Free Communities a start-up grant, which funded the Coalition for 10 years and brought from its inception to a thriving, vibrant Prevention Coalition.

After our initial federal funding ended, we received funding from the Washington State Health Care Authority for continued support of our community coalition through the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI).

After 17 years of leadership by SJIPC Executive Coordinator, Cynthia Stark-Wickman, SJIPC welcomed Natalie Miller-Nawn in 2023 to lead SJIPC’s work in the community. In 2024-2025, coalition members developed our current Strategic Plan to guide our work, and changed our name to Friday Harbor Youth Coalition. To center community engagement as a driver of coalition success, the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center hired the FHYC Coordinator in 2025, embedding the role within its staff. In 2026, the coalition contract transitioned to Northwest Educational Service District 189, with the FHYC Coordinator role moving to NWESD as part of that transition. This evolution supports continuity in community‑centered work while strengthening coordination, administrative capacity, and implementation of evidence‑based programs funded through the CPWI grant.

SJIPC History of Events

Through volunteer efforts, material support and collaboration with community partners the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition brought many positive opportunities to local youth. Highlights include:

  • Senior Grad Night

  • Island Rec’s Family Night Out

  • Island Rec’s Family New Years Eve

  • Youth Conservation Corps

  • San Juan County Fair Booth – Grow the Good Healthy Message T-shirt decoration

  • Youth Leadership clubs including Rock Solid and Helping out Teens Society
    Youth Leadership & Team Building Trainings including Peer 2 Peer and Youth Got This Summit

  • Community Assessment of Neighborhood Stores

The positive impact of SJIPC efforts has been recognized through many awards including:

  • 2024 Washington State Prevention Awards of Excellence: Young Adult Leadership Award: Luke Fincher

  • 2020 Washington State Prevention Awards of Excellence: Lifetime Achievement Award: Cynthia Stark-Wickman

  • 2019 Washington State Prevention Awards of Excellence: Youth Leadership: High School Group of Club: Rock Solid (SJIPC)

  • 2013 Island Rec Shining Star Partner Award: San Juan Island Prevention Coalition

Contact Us

Robyn Carbuccia
Cell 360-982-8993
Community Coalition Coordinator

988 Lifeline

Programs We Support

Dream Big (ages 5-13)

Dream Big offers afterschool and summer programs for elementary and middle school youth, focusing on creativity, connection, and resilience through activities like art, literacy, and outdoor play.

FHES Second Step curriculum (Ages 5-11):

JLSFRC supports social-emotional learning at Friday Harbor Elementary School through group mentoring and 20-minute classroom lessons in grades K-2, using the Second Step curriculum to build empathy, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills.

FHMS LifeSkills training (6th grade):

Life skills training for middle schoolers includes hands-on learning in areas like communication, decision-making, and emotional regulation, often integrated into mentoring and group programs.

First Generation Mentoring (Grades 9-12):

Supports students whose parents did not attend post-secondary education, offering guidance on post-high school options, applications, financial aid, life skills, and emotional tools – with wraparound support for families navigating cultural or relational challenges.

HOTS - Helping Out Teens Society (Middle School)

Empowers students to improve school culture by identifying community needs and leading initiatives. Members build skills in public speaking, problem-solving, and healthy decision-making through activities like leadership trainings, peer presentations, and outreach to younger students.

Screen Free Week (All Ages - Family Focused)

JLSFRC partners with the community to host fun, free activities that encourage families to unplug and reconnect. Leading up to Screen Free Saturday in May, monthly events promote mindful tech use as a lasting lifestyle choice rather than a one-week challenge.

One-on-One Matches (Elementary & Middle school)

The SJI Youth mentoring program pairs youth with caring adult mentors for weekly meetings over at least one year. Through relationship-building and engaging activities, the program fosters resilience, confidence, and connection. Mentors and mentees complete an application process, with mentors also undergoing screening and training.

YAAS (Young Adult Association of San Juan) (Ages 17+)

YAAS! is a social and advocacy group for young adults with disabilities, offering life skills workshops, community events, and peer support to promote independence and inclusion.

Young Empowered Women’s Circle (Adolescent and Young Women)

A weekly space for young women to connect, build friendship, and engage in meaningful conversations. The group fosters self-confidence, reduces isolation, introduces career exploration, and connects participants with mentors and supportive community resources.

Youth Leadership Opportunities

Local youth learn how substance use impacts health and how protective factors can build personal and community resilience. Youth gain skills in talking about these facts with their peers and community.

In addition to the Helping Out Teens Society, leadership opportunities include:

  • Participating in the Peer2Peer program which trains students to be peer educators.
  • The regional “Youth Got This” Summit, which brings students together for experiential learning to enhance their leadership and communication skills.