When we talk about preventing youth substance use, it is easy for the conversation to focus on what is going wrong. But what if most young people are already making healthy choices, and part of our prevention strategy is making sure they know that?

In this episode of the Common Good Data Podcast, Roger Suclupe and I talk with Libby Ray about positive social norms campaigns and their potential role in preventing youth alcohol use and vaping.

Positive social norms campaigns address an important challenge: young people and adults can significantly overestimate how common substance use actually is. When “everybody is doing it” becomes the perceived norm, that perception can influence expectations and behavior. A positive social norms approach uses credible local data to correct those misperceptions and reinforce the healthy choices that most young people are already making.

Our conversation covers:

• Current concerns around youth vaping and alcohol use
• What a positive social norms campaign is and how it differs from traditional prevention messaging
• Why perceptions about peer behavior matter
• The importance of using credible local data to develop campaign messages
• How focus groups helped bring youth voice into the campaign
• What young people taught the team about imagery, messaging, and authenticity
• How the campaign is reaching youth through digital advertising, schools, community partners, posters, banners, and even stickers
• What Libby and her team are hearing now that the campaign is underway

One of my favorite ideas from the conversation is that hope and concern can live side by side. We can acknowledge serious concerns about youth substance use while also recognizing that the vast majority of young people are making healthy choices.

And, because we are talking about campaigns and messaging, we finish with a trip back to some memorable advertising from the 1980s and 1990s.

If you work in substance use prevention, public health, youth development, or community-based prevention, this conversation offers a practical example of how data, youth voice, and thoughtful messaging can come together in a real-world campaign.

The Common Good Data Podcast explores how data, strategy, and evaluation can help social sector organizations improve outcomes and strengthen their impact. Learn more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast

Summer has a way of shifting the rhythm of work. For many the break from school-year programming opens up calendars and provides a lighter pace feel in the office. Casual Fridays, anyone? Summer creates a natural break that is easy to overlook but incredibly valuable if used well. In this solo episode, I explore why this time of year offers a rare opportunity to step back from execution and focus on strategy. Instead of moving directly from one program cycle into the next, this is a moment to reflect, realign, and plan intentionally for the year ahead.In this episode, I cover:- Why summer is one of the best times to revisit strategy and priorities- How to use retreats or planning sessions without overcomplicating the process- A simple but powerful question to guide reflection: What actually changed for the people we serve this year?- How to move from activities to clearly defined outcomes- Why many organizations struggle to articulate impact, even when doing strong work- How a data and impact plan can connect your strategy, measurement, and communicationAt the center of this conversation is a practical shift: start with the change you want to create, and then design your programs, data, and decisions around that.As you listen, consider:- What changed this past year in the lives of those you serve?- What change do you want to see next year?- How will you know if you are making progress?🔗 Read more about Data & Impact Plans:https://www.commongooddata.com/blog/what-is-a-data-and-impact-plan-and-do-you-need-oneListen to this episode and more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast

In this episode, we explore one of the most pressing challenges facing the social sector today: economic mobility. While the idea of the “American Dream” suggests that upward mobility is widely available, the data tells a more complicated story. Only about 64% of Americans believe those opportunities exist, and research shows that a significant portion of income advantage is passed from one generation to the next.

To dig deeper into this issue, I’m joined by Dr. Michelle Carrera-Morales of Xiente, an organization working directly with families to build pathways from poverty to the middle class.

In this conversation, we cover:

• How economic mobility is defined and experienced at the community level

• Structural barriers like housing, employment, childcare, and the “benefits cliff”

• What guaranteed income is—and how it works in practice

• How Xiente is implementing a pilot program combining cash transfers with holistic supports

• The role of data and research in understanding impact, including partnerships with the University of Pennsylvania

• What early signals suggest about financial stability, decision-making, and long-term outcomes

One of the most compelling themes in this episode is the idea that stability creates possibility. When families are no longer operating in constant survival mode, it opens the door to longer-term thinking, planning, and opportunity.

This episode is for anyone working in human services, public health, behavioral health, or economic development who is thinking about how to move from short-term stabilization to long-term mobility.

Learn more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast