The NonStop P.A.R.T.Y. initiative is a new program developed in response to needs expressed by teachers to ensure that the attitudes and behaviours learned over the regular P.A.R.T.Y. programming are reinforced and integrated into each student's real life for the long-term.

NonStop P.A.R.T.Y. Phase I

Phase I involved extensive research. We had the enlightening and delightful experience of going out into the field to consult with youth–we literally met them in the fields, parks, youth centres, restaurants, etc. where they hang out, and asked what young people want and need to exercise healthy leisure and party skills to displace drug and alcohol use and other negative behaviours. Our target ranged from grade 9 to grade 12, in addition to parents, agencies, community members, local government, and local businesses.

We gathered a lot of input and talked to a lot of people, and found that youth in our community seriously lack the opportunities they need to have fun, challenge themselves, and keep safe especially on Friday and Saturday nights. They demonstrated a lot of candid honesty about what happens when they find they have nothing to do on weekend evenings, and offered up their dreams of what they would do if they could. Our youth want to have fun and challenge themselves in healthy ways—they want to have talent shows, play sports, play games, even learn ballroom dancing—but feel that opportunities for fun things are lacking whereas opportunities for drug and alcohol use are abundant. We are now working collaboratively with the community to address this issue, and are very excited about what the future will hold for Phase II of the NonStop P.A.R.T.Y.