Student-Led. Evidence-Driven. Nationally Connected.
NATIONAL SUBSTANCE PREVENTION NETWORK.
Find your placewith us
Welcome to the National Substance Prevention Network. We encourage you to explore our mission, meet our student leaders, and discover how you can get involved. Thank you for your interest in building healthier communities with us.
Make a difference with us.
Student-led chapters · A nationwide community
NSPNStudent-led. Nationally connected.
The people behind our missionMeet the board
Our Mission
Knowledge that leads to healthier choices.
Empowering students to build healthier, drug-free communities through leadership, education, and prevention.
Why Our Organization Serves
What miseducation costs us, and what public health can do about it
The Gap
A Crisis Fed by Miseducation
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, and it now appears in counterfeit pills made to look like Xanax, Percocet, or Adderall. Many people who die from fentanyl never intended to take it at all — they believed they were taking something else entirely, often because prevention education never reached them in time.
The Medicine
Why It's So Dangerous
Fentanyl binds rapidly to opioid receptors in the brainstem that control breathing, which can cause respiratory depression within minutes. Because it's so potent, the margin between an active dose and a fatal one is extremely small — and counterfeit pills are rarely mixed evenly, so one pill from a batch can be far stronger than the next.
The Human Cost
Who's Actually Affected
Overdose deaths involving fentanyl have risen sharply among teenagers and young adults over the past several years — a population that, in many school systems, receives little or no updated education on counterfeit pills and synthetic opioids. Families are often left blindsided, unaware their child ever encountered the drug at all.
The Response
What Public Health Can Do
Evidence-based approaches include widespread naloxone access and training, fentanyl test strip distribution, Good Samaritan laws that encourage bystanders to call for help, and honest, non-stigmatizing education about counterfeit pills — delivered before a first exposure, not after.
Takeaway
Why NSPN Exists
This is the gap NSPN chapters are built to close — translating current research on crises like this into honest, peer-led conversations that reach students before misinformation, or silence, does it for us.
This is an illustrative example for educational purposes, based on general public health research.
NSPN develops highly informative case studies on substance use and delivers them to high schools nationwide, equipping students with accurate, evidence-based information and opening honest conversations about substance abuse.
Our approach
Prevention works better when it comes from someone you trust.
Prevention First
We build every workshop and campaign from current research — not scare tactics or outdated slogans.
Peer-to-Peer Trust
College mentors train high school leaders. High school leaders run the room — student to student, not adult to teenager.
Nationally Connected
What works in one chapter gets documented and shared with every other chapter, coast to coast.
Where NSPN Started
NSPN started with a simple observation: most substance-prevention programs are designed by adults, for teenagers, and rarely land the way they’re supposed to. We flip that model. College chapters research the science, then work directly with high school chapter leaders to turn it into case studies and conversations that actually resonate with their peers. What began as a handful of campus chapters sharing curriculum with nearby high schools has grown into a nationwide network built on one idea: prevention works better when it comes from someone you trust.
SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework Trained
Every NSPN board member completes training in SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) — the five-step, evidence-based planning process (assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation) that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration developed to guide prevention work nationwide. Completing SPF training is a requirement for every incoming board member, so every case study and campaign NSPN produces is grounded in the same standard used by prevention professionals across the country.
Leadership
The people behind our mission.
The National Collegiate Executive Board sets curriculum, strategy, and training for every NSPN chapter nationwide. Every board member completes SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework training as a condition of joining.
Founder & President
Co-Founder & Co-President
Vice President
Director of High School Programs
Director of Partnerships & Outreach
Directors of Communications & Social Media
Director of Technology
Directors of Chapter Development
Director of Events
Directors of Operations
Director of Fundraising
Directors of Research & Evaluation
Advisors
Providing professional guidance and strategic mentorship for NSPN.
Active
Sohyun Kim, PhD, BCBA
Advisor
PhD in Special Education from UCLA and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with expertise in autism, behavioral science, and evidence-based education.
sklearning.org
Active
Micah Jung, BA
Advisor
Business Administration graduate from California State University, Fullerton, currently pursuing a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree with an interdisciplinary background in business and psychology.
Active
Seoyoon Choi, BA, J.D. Candidate
Advisor
J.D. Candidate at Duke University School of Law, specializing in public policy and nonprofit governance. Degree in International Relations and Philosophy, Politics & Economics, Claremont McKenna College.
Leadership
Local leaders. National impact.
Our high school chapter leaders are student leaders who are driving change in their schools and communities through prevention, education, and advocacy.
Valencia Community
ActiveEK
Chapter Leader
Ellie Kim
Valencia High School
California
DM
Danielle Moody
AK
Ahana Kulkarni
DG
Dylan Geckler
FH
Faith Hilton
King Kekaulike Community
ActivePY
Chapter Leader
Patrice Yamashita
King Kekaulike High School
Hawaii
TS
Tela Semmerling
AM
Amelia Meyer
IR
Ivy Campbell Roscoe
HL
Hazel Lee
MR
Mahealani Rickard
West Ranch Community
ActivePP
Chapter Leader
Paige Park
West Ranch High School
California
VP
Victoria Pacis
AT
Adelyn Trinh
NL
Noelle Lee
Mountain Ridge Community
ActiveSH
Chapter Leaders
SinRou Huang & SinEn Huang
Mountain Ridge High School
Arizona
VR
Venba Ranjith
DT
Deekshita Thangavel
EJ
Emma Jordan
BH
Berkeley Hua
Uplift North Hills Community
ActiveFS
Chapter Leader
Fariha Shaik
Uplift North Hills Preparatory
Texas
YM
Yaazhini Mathiarasu
MS
Manahil Shakoor
Chaminade Community
ActiveJK
Chapter Leader
Jouha Chandler Kim
Chaminade High School
California
AS
Alex Seul
DK
Dylan Kim
Hammond Community
ActiveMM
Chapter Leader
Maliyah Miyesa
Hammond High School
Maryland
MH
Malaika Hijazi
KN
Kenzie Narh
XP
Xiomara Phillips
JB
Jaliyah De Leon Brown
LM
Lillian Mair
KM
Kimberlyn McGhie
SJ
Sophia James
IO
Isabelle Oliveira
AL
Abby Lindsly
ZB
Zach Boubsil
JD
Justin Do
JL
Jacob L.
ES
Ethan Shin
SR
Sarah Ro
ES
Elanna Shin
SS
Sonali Skinner
KD
Katie Do
JD
Jaden Do
MC
Monica Cardona
Santa Clarita Community
ActiveKS
Chapter Leader
Kyle Song
West Ranch High School
California
NM
Nozomi Matsumoto
DS
Diya Sondhi
Open role
Chapter Leader
Open to Apply
Open role
Chapter Leader
Open to Apply
Organization
One mission. A connected network.
01National Collegiate Executive BoardCurriculum, strategy, and training for every chapter.
02High School Chapter LeadersPeer-led education and advocacy in local communities.
+
Community partners
Collaborate with NSPN and local chapters to support the shared mission.
Our National Collegiate Network
Connected across campuses
Brown University
Johns Hopkins University
USC
Washington Univ. in St. Louis
College of the Canyons
Virginia Tech
UC Riverside
Cornell University
Northeastern University
Columbia University
Boston College
Cal Poly Pomona
UCLA
Board member institutions • Updated each semester
Partnerships
Community partners.Greater impact together.
Connecting student-led prevention with organizations and groups that share our commitment to healthier communities. Meet the people and partnerships helping move that mission forward.
Working together
A shared mission.
New connections.
Explore our partners and the opportunities they bring to our community.
Research & prevention partners
Science research mentoring
Future Forward Labs
Future Forward Labs is a research academy for pre-college science. It pairs high school students one-on-one with PhD-qualified mentors to develop original research, with guidance on presenting, defending, and publishing their work through science competitions and journals.
Visit websiteWhat We Do
Everything we runstarts with the research.
Our work is grounded in research and public health data—not assumptions. We draw on trusted sources, including the CDC, SAMHSA, NIH, and FDA.
Evidence-Based Prevention
Our programs are regularly updated to reflect emerging trends in youth substance use and proven prevention strategies. Students get accurate, up-to-date information they can trust.
Peer-to-Peer Support
Chapter Leaders use NSPN training and case studies to guide discussions and activities with their peers. Students build practical skills for making healthy decisions, navigating peer pressure, and responding to challenging situations.
Community Outreach
Chapters bring prevention beyond the classroom through awareness campaigns, events, and connections with their schools and communities. Members can earn verified volunteer hours through eligible chapter activities.
Join NSPN
Choose Your Role
There are three ways to get involved with NSPN. Choose the leadership opportunity that best fits your interests and make a difference in your community.
National Collegiate Executive Board
For College Students
Set curriculum, train mentors, and guide strategy for the entire national network.
High School Chapter Leader
For High Schoolers — In-School
Lead your school’s official chapter — run peer sessions, campaigns, and events on campus.
High School Chapter Leader
For High Schoolers — Off-Campus
Lead a community-based chapter through a local center, church, or youth organization.
Resources
Support & Crisis Resources
If you or someone you know needs help right now, these free, confidential services are available 24/7.
SAMHSA National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP (4357) — free, confidential treatment referral and information, in English and Spanish, 24/7.
Call 1-800-662-4357988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, for free and confidential support in a suicidal or emotional crisis — 24 hours a day, every day.
Call 988More resources, including state-specific services, will be added here over time.
Contact
Talk to Us
Starting a chapter, partnering with NSPN, or bringing this to your campus? Email us — a real person reads every message.
contact@thenspn.org
Email Usor send a message
Message Sent
Thanks for reaching out — we’ll get back to you soon.