News and Events
Highlands County SWAT Members Make Waves at Statewide Meeting
June 10, 2025
SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) youth from Highlands County recently attended the 2025 Statewide SWAT Meeting, held June 5–8 at the Marriott in Lake Mary, Florida. This year’s theme, “Making Waves,” set the tone for an energizing and educational weekend focused on youth-led tobacco prevention and anti-vaping advocacy.
SWAT Advisor Cleo Pyatt accompanied three outstanding youth representatives: Samantha Dennison and Guinevere Henderson from the Sebring High School SWAT Club, and Dakota Brown from the Hill-Gustat Middle School SWAT Club. Together, they joined SWAT members and advisors from across the state for four days of leadership development, interactive learning, and networking.
The agenda featured a variety of breakout sessions, motivational speakers, and presentations from Youth Advocacy Board (YAB) members, all designed to build skills and deepen knowledge around tobacco prevention. From learning new strategies for peer outreach to hearing real-life success stories from youth leaders, the Highlands County delegation gained valuable insights to bring back to their local clubs.
“The weekend was a great opportunity for our students to connect with other passionate youth and strengthen their voices as leaders in the fight against tobacco,” said Pyatt. “They left feeling inspired, better informed, and ready to take action in their schools and communities.”
The event was expertly planned and executed by the Youth Advocacy Board and the Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida (BTFF), who ensured that every moment of the weekend was impactful and empowering.
The Highlands County SWAT Club is excited to apply what they learned and continue making waves in the movement toward a tobacco-free generation.
