In 2025, Planet Youth began new partnerships in Ireland, Lithuania, Germany, France, the US and Canada. Each partnership marks the start of a locally led, data-driven process of drug prevention grounded in collaboration and shared responsibility for children and young people. Existing partners reached important milestones.
From Planet Youth…
As 2025 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year shaped by positive work, thoughtful collaboration, and shared commitment across many different communities alongside our remarkable partners all over the world, both current and new.
This year, Planet Youth began new partnerships in Ireland, Lithuania, Germany, France, the United States, and Canada, including several First Nations communities in Yukon and a new municipal partnership in Ontario. Each partnership marks the start of a locally led, data-driven process grounded in collaboration and shared responsibility for children and young people.
At the same time, a number of existing partners reached important milestones in their work. During International Youth Day, a Planet Youth partnership in Uganda marked a new phase of collaboration by bringing together youth, schools, community groups, and national partners around shared responsibility for well-being. In Romania, ongoing collaboration progressed with the completion of the first Planet Youth survey in Bucharest, where more than 8,000 10th-grade students from 60 high schools took part, providing local leaders with a clearer picture of youth well-being and a foundation for next steps in community-based prevention. In South Africa’s Western Cape, the partnership also reached an important milestone this year, engaging schools across the province and completing a large-scale youth survey. Analysis is now underway to support local reflection and planning.
This year also marked a particularly meaningful partnership closer to home. Planet Youth entered into a new collaboration with the Municipality of Kópavogur in Iceland. Working once again alongside Icelandic municipalities is something we value deeply, and we are glad to support Kópavogur as it strengthens the use of local data to inform decisions that promote the well-being and opportunities of children and young people. This partnership reflects a shared belief in coherence, evidence, and long-term commitment at the community level.
In Canada, Planet Youth was also glad to further strengthen its collaboration with the Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub (KDE Hub). Together, we supported communities implementing the Planet Youth Guidance Program by connecting local action with national learning, evaluation, and shared practice. Through this cooperation, community partners benefited not only from data-informed guidance and hands-on support but also from being part of a growing Canadian network committed to upstream, evidence-based prevention. It is a partnership that reflects a shared belief that lasting change is built when strong local leadership is supported by trust, shared knowledge, and long-term commitment.
Opportunities to learn together remained an important part of the year. In March, Planet Youth welcomed partners from many countries to Reykjavík for the annual Planet Youth Conference, where discussions focused on upstream prevention, the cultural transferability of the Icelandic Prevention Model, and lessons from long-term community work.
In Canada, the Planet Youth Toronto Conference brought together participants from across the country to share practical experience and learning, with a strong focus on translating data into action.
Planet Youth team members also took part in a number of partner-hosted and international forums throughout the year. A major prevention conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, hosted by Planet Youth partners, brought together a large and diverse group of participants to explore how prevention approaches can be adapted and sustained in local contexts. Other Planet Youth partners also hosted conferences and learning events during the year, including in Ireland and Scotland, creating additional spaces for exchange, reflection, and shared learning within the network. In addition, Planet Youth contributed to international forums such as the CCSA Conference in Canada and a side event at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna.
This year also marked the release of the second edition of the Planet Youth Community Implementation Guide. The updated guide reflects feedback and learning from partner communities worldwide and strengthens practical support across the full implementation process. It offers clearer structure, expanded tools, and additional guidance to help communities translate data into coordinated, long-term action in ways that fit their local context.
Looking ahead, Planet Youth will next welcome partners to Reykjavík from May 6-8, 2026, for the Planet Youth Conference under the theme Communities Leading Sustainable Change. The conference will focus on how prevention efforts are built and sustained over time, and how communities lead this work using evidence and long-term commitment.
We are grateful to the many young people, families, professionals, researchers, and community leaders who continue to engage thoughtfully in this work. Prevention rarely delivers quick results, but when communities work together over time, meaningful change becomes possible.
