Addiction Policy Forum Launches Free Prevention Online Course in English and Spanish to Expand Access to Youth Prevention Education

Over 30 national and community organizations join efforts to increase access to evidence-based prevention resources for youth and families

WASHINGTON, July 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Addiction Policy Forum (APF) today announced the launch of Protect Your Brain (Protege tu Cerebro), a free, evidence-informed youth prevention e-course now available in both English and Spanish. The course is designed to provide youth, families, educators, and communities with accessible prevention education focused on substance use prevention, healthy decision-making, emotional well-being, and substance use disorder awareness.

The Protect Your Brain curriculum was created to address the growing need for engaging, accessible prevention education that empowers young people with the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy and informed decisions. Following a successful pilot study, participants demonstrated increased knowledge related to risk and protective factors associated with healthy youth development and substance use prevention.

Recognizing the importance of providing culturally and linguistically appropriate resources, APF translated the course into Spanish to help ensure that Spanish-speaking youth, parents, caregivers, and communities have access to high-quality prevention education in their preferred language.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 42 million people in the United States speak Spanish at home, yet many families continue to face barriers to accessing health and prevention information in their preferred language (1). By offering Protect Your Brain in both English and Spanish, APF aims to increase equitable access to prevention education and empower more youth and families with evidence-based resources that support healthy development and well-being.

"Prevention education should be accessible to every family, regardless of the language they speak," said Jessica Hulsey, Founder and Executive Director of Addiction Policy Forum. "By making Protect Your Brain available in both English and Spanish, we hope to reduce barriers to information and empower youth and families with evidence-based tools that support healthy development and prevent substance use disorders. We are incredibly grateful to the Cencora Impact Foundation and our many community partners who have helped make this possible."

The Protect Your Brain e-course covers topics including:

• Understanding how the adolescent brain develops
• What a substance use disorder is
• Risk and protective factors related to substance use
• Healthy coping strategies
• Decision-making skills and resilience
  
  

The course is free, self-paced, and available online, allowing participants to complete the training on their own schedule. Designed for youth, parents, caregivers, educators, and community organizations, the course can be used as a standalone educational resource or incorporated into broader prevention programming and outreach efforts.

The project was made possible through funding from the Cencora Impact Foundation, which supports initiatives that help improve health outcomes and expand access to healthcare and health education.

“At the Cencora Impact Foundation, we believe that access to wellness education is an important component of improving health outcomes and strengthening communities. Supporting innovative programs that enable community well-being is central to our mission,” said Barbra Anderson, VP, Global Corporate Responsibility, Cencora and Program Officer, Cencora Impact Foundation. “We are proud to support Addiction Policy Forum's efforts to expand access to evidence-based prevention resources through the English and Spanish versions of Protect Your Brain. By helping make prevention education more accessible to youth and families, this initiative has the potential to empower communities with the knowledge and tools needed to support lifelong health and well-being."

The launch of the new prevention resources includes over 30 organizations from across the prevention, public health, education, family support, and healthcare sectors, all working together to increase awareness of the free resource and promote prevention education in communities nationwide. Participating organizations include Bailes Consulting services, Believe Center Youth and Family Resource Center, Casa de Salud, Carroll County Coalition for Public Health, Coastal Horizons Brunswick, DEA Educational Foundation, Delaware County Community Partnership, ECORN-MO, Faces and Voices of Recovery, Flagler Cares & One Voice for Volusia, Genesee County Prevention Coalition, Hope United - Tyler's Redemption Place, I Fit Out, LLC, Let’s Get Real Inc, Missouri Health Access Project (MHAP), Montgomery County ADAMHS, National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), Northridge Hospital Medical Center- CommonSpirit, The Opioid Response Network (ORN), PAK, PEER Services, Power Forward Inc, Prevention Action Alliance, SpiritWorks, Suncoast Institute on Chemical Dependency, Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery, United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), Voices of Hope, and Wright County.

"Meaningful change happens through collaboration. Partnership is critical to expanding the reach of prevention education," said Hulsey. "We are grateful to the many organizations that have joined this effort and are helping ensure that youth and families around the world can access these resources at no cost."

To access the free courses, visit:

• Protect Your Brain e-Course in English
• Protege tu Cerebro e-Course in Spanish
  
  

About Addiction Policy Forum

Addiction Policy Forum is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating addiction as a major health problem by translating science into action. The organization works to empower patients and families, improve prevention and treatment outcomes, and strengthen recovery through education, innovation, policy, and community engagement.
https://www.addictionpolicy.org/

About the Cencora Impact Foundation

The Cencora Impact Foundation is an independent not-for-profit charitable giving organization established by Cencora to improve the health and well-being of its patient populations by investing in its communities. Through strategic partnerships and community collaboration, the Foundation works to expand access to quality healthcare and provide resources to ensure prescription drug safety. For more information, visit www.cencora.com/our-impact/cencora-impact-foundation.

Media Contact

Addiction Policy Forum
info@addictionpolicy.org
www.addictionpolicy.org

References
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Language spoken at home. American Community Survey. Retrieved June 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-question/language/

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