The Dakota County Board of Commissioners presented the 2024 Public Health Achievement Awards to three recipients Tuesday, April 23 in celebration of National Public Health Week. The winners are the Vape Waste Team, Bridgette Norring and South of the River Collaborative.
Vape Waste Team, the youth award winner, includes 12 high school students from Eagan, Eastview and Farmington high schools. The team demonstrated exceptional commitment to addressing the environmental harms of e-cigarettes.
Concerned about the discarded disposable vaping devices littering their school grounds and neighborhoods, the students worked with the Tobacco-Free Alliance to investigate the environmental effects of e-cigarettes and find ways to reduce or eliminate them. They conducted an anonymous survey among 421 students from 13 Dakota County-area high schools in fall 2023.
Using the survey data, the students developed messages to raise awareness and drive positive change. They also wrote to a state legislative committee in support of a tobacco prevention bill. The Vape Waste Team's work sets an exemplary model for other communities.
Bridgette Norring, the individual award winner, has a deep personal commitment to preventing drug-related deaths and educating about the fentanyl epidemic. Norring presents to students, parents, community leaders, law enforcement and legislators. She has made a profound impact on the lives of youth by empowering them to make informed choices for their safety and well-being. Norring is a member of the Dakota County Opioid Response Advisory Committee.
The South of the River Collaborative, the group award winner, includes school district cultural liaisons and cultural family advocates from seven districts. The group was formed to connect school support staff in similar roles, so they can share best practices and resources to meet the needs of their communities. The collaborative supports students, families and their colleagues to promote student academic success, health and well-being. Members of the collaborative are from or represent Black, African American, East African, Indigenous, Latinx and other communities.
Cultural liaisons and cultural family advocates are often the first and sometimes the only trusted contact for families new to the county, state or country. They help navigate the school system and other services, including affordable housing, food access, dental care, mental health resources, legal issues, economic and employment services and social connections in the community.
The county board established Public Health Achievement Awards in 2000 to recognize residents who devote their time, energy and talents to create a healthy future for Dakota County residents.