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Prince George's youth need to be encouraged to live healthier lives, embrace technology and become familiar with financial literacy early in life, according to a summary of a report released by the county's Substance Abuse Treatment Education and Prevention Network.

The coalition, funded by the nonprofit organization Suitland Family and Life Development Corp., includes county youths and members of community and government groups.

Sylvia Quinton, project coordinator for the network, called the report's resulting efforts a "social revolution" and likened it to the presidential campaign of President-Elect Barack Obama (D-Ill).

"Our goal is to set the national framework for youth development and youth engagement in Prince George's County," Quinton said at the release of the report Nov. 12 at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission's Prince George's Ballroom in Landover.

The report, titled "A 4-Real Future 4 Youth: An Action Plan for Youth Development and Youth Engagement," was funded with $500,000 in grant funding from 2003-2008 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The group will receive another $625,000 over the next five years to implement the recommendations.

The report included results of a May 2007 youth issues summit as well as a survey of the county's youth and adults.

The report recommends more education in the community about healthy living and establishing wellness programs in churches, schools, health clinics, community centers and hospitals.

According to the report, 37 percent of the youth, ages 10 to 21, surveyed admitted to using alcohol or drugs, and 72 percent said they have at least one friend who uses drugs or alcohol.

The report also focused on financial literacy, stating that programs should be available for youth and adults and that children should learn about money as early as possible at home.

It also called on parents and other adults to become more engaged with technology, including understanding social networking Web sites such as Facebook and My Space because of the importance of technology in youths' lives.

The report also said adults should become more familiar with Hip-Hop culture and its possible role in education, such as allowing students to express themselves through rap, dancing, graffiti or fashion.

"[Youth] also believe it is important for adults to come to grips with understanding the role that Hip-Hop plays in the lives of young people – without being judgmental," the report said.

Quinton also said the group is supporting a bill before the County Council that would bar the sale of so-called "blunts"- cigars which can be emptied and filled with marijuana, to minors.

She also said the group is working with the County Council to have a memorandum of understanding between the county school system and the M-NCPPC that would allow students to complete their physical education requirements in an M-NCPPC facility. The goal would be to introduce students to the community centers and recreation facilities in hopes that they would use them more frequently.

County Council and school officials declined to comment on the report at press time because they had not yet received it.

Rose Colby, partnerships and grants specialist in the county's Parks and Recreation Department, said the report serves to help strengthen relationships between the county organizations that serve youth.

"We're all serving the same youth community. We all need to speak the same language and have some shared objectives and some shared goals," Colby said.

For a copy of the report, call 888-295-7177.

E-mail Megan King at mking@gazette.net.