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Idaho Public Television welcomes its first-ever KNOW VAPE Ambassadors, middle school and high school students from across the Treasure Valley who provide valuable feedback and creativity to our KNOW VAPE anti-vaping campaign.
KNOW VAPE is an Emmy Award-winning awareness campaign focused on educating Idaho tweens and teens about the harmful effects of youth vaping. Idaho student voices are the driving force of this project, which has allowed youth from around the state to share their personal experiences with vape use.
Idaho Public Television invited participants from the2024 KNOW VAPE teen video contest to join this new advisory group. “We decided to share this opportunity with the students who placed in the video contest because we knew they believed in the campaign and already created content that made it better,” says Austin Henderson, communication specialist for KNOW VAPE.
The KNOW VAPE Ambassadors from Boise, Meridian, Middleton, and Kuna started meeting over Zoom during summer 2024—setting their own goals, assigning roles, and brainstorming ideas—and they have already started producing social media content for the KNOW VAPE Instagram account to better reach their peers across the state. The new content focuses more on teen-created skits and memes that feature educational messaging about the dangers of youth vaping.
Idaho Public Television is making sure that the KNOW VAPE Ambassadors are benefiting from this commitment, too. “We are working continuously to make this a meaningful experience for them,” Henderson says. “Whether that’s getting a tour of the Idaho Public Television station, connecting with video production professionals, and receiving feedback and support for their creative work.”
Jennie Sue Weltner, executive producer of KNOW VAPE, says, “The power of the KNOW VAPE campaign comes from the tweens and teens who tell us what is and isn’t working. It’s their insights and ideas that make the magic!”
Find a wide range of KNOW VAPE resources for parents, youth and educators atidahoptv.org/knowvape. And watch the award-winning documentary Nic Sick: The Dangers of Youth Vaping for free anytimeonline or on thePBS app.
