Upcoming events
-
Parenting Through the Tween and Teen Years
For parents/caregivers of 9-14 year-olds.
A series of five weekly classes offering support and education as your child navigates adolescence.
6-8 pm Tuesdays Oct. 6 - Nov. 3
Family meal included each week
FREE
Free childcare available
Email info@varsanetwork.org for more information.
This class is also offered in SPANISH on 5 Thursdays October 1-29
(formerly titled Guiding Good Choices)
-
SIGN UP NOW for our next Youth Mental Health First Aid training
One day - 5-hour in person class held at the VARSA office (aross from Ace Hardware)
DATE - Wednesday Nov. 11
8:30 am - 1:30 pm
FREE - Lunch provided!
For adults who care about teens!
For questions or to register email info@varsanetwork.org
-
VARSA Book Share - Accountable by Dashka Slater
Join our Facebook group “VARSA Book Share” where we will discuss Accountable as it relates to Vashon teens.
-
Middle School night at the Recess Lab!
Friday evenings 6:30-8:30 pm your 6th-8th grader can play DnD, climb on the bouldering wall, play group games or just run off some steam! The Recess Lab is next to Island Queen in downtown Vashon.
Our October -November 2026 book is
Accountable - A true Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed” by Dashka Slater
Join Islanders for an informal book club where we discuss themes and how the author addresses addiction, recovery, family dynamics, resilience, and protective factors (just to name a few), and how they resonate with raising Island youth today.
You’ve already read it—JOIN the DISCUSSION!
You been waiting to read it — JOIN the DISCUSSION!
Books To borrow: at KCLS Library
To purchase: The Vashon Bookshop
To have (free): here at the VARSA office
Audio To borrow: the KCLS Libby app.
Join the @VARSA Book Share Facebook group.
The questions and discussion will start October1st.
McMurray’s new Mural of Belonging!
What is varsa?
VHS TLC Leadership Club at McMurray lunch activity
Peer-led presentations to students
VHS bulletin board for jobs, camps, classes, volunteer opportunities
Advocacy
Engage. Educate. Empower.
VARSA’s mission is to reduce underage drug and alcohol use and promote healthy, substance-free lifestyles through education, advocacy, and community support.
We believe that through education, collaboration, and advocacy, we can create a supportive environment where young people can thrive.
Growing up on this beautiful island has many advantages, yet Vashon youth face a significant challenge: high rates of underage drug and alcohol use.
For almost two decades, the statewide Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) has consistently shown that underage substance use on Vashon is much higher than the state average across all grade levels, with some students starting as early as sixth grade.
There’s a common belief on the island that there is a permissive attitude toward underage substance use. Many students downplay the risks, are influenced by peers who drink and use drugs, and feel social norms and recent legislation do nothing to discourage this behavior.