Uthmpact Hardee
UthMpact Hardee is a youth coalition of teen leaders based at Hardee Senior High School, working under the direction of and funded by Drug Free Hardee. Members come together to educate their peers and the wider community on substance abuse prevention, using their own voices to make a measurable difference in Hardee County.
What We Do
Living up to our motto, "Youth In Action," UthMpact members develop and lead campaigns that encourage teens across Hardee County to make healthy choices around alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, vaping, and other drugs. Members volunteer, set positive examples for their peers, grow coalition membership, and work to change outdated stereotypes about teen drug use all while building genuine community engagement.
To sharpen these skills, members attend Youth Leadership Key Essentials Training, which equips young people with the tools to lead civic action and tackle issues like underage drinking and prescription drug misuse using a strategic prevention framework.
Our Projects
UthMpact's work shows up across the community. Members successfully petitioned the City of Wauchula Commission to designate Oak Street Park a Play Free Zone free of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol with the long-term goal of extending that designation to every park in the county. Each year, they take part in Kick Butts Day, a national day of activism against Big Tobacco, cleaning up cigarette litter from sites across Wauchula and Pioneer Park. On campus, UthMpact participate in Red Ribbon Week activities, Fentanyl Awareness Day, Graduate Healthy Choices, and many other campaigns.
