Friday Night Live

Website

fridaynightlive.org

Program Description

Friday Night Live (FNL) is a youth-led program that promotes skill development and healthy decision-making. Built on a positive youth development framework, it fosters leadership, advocacy, peer relationships, and skill-building through community engagement. FNL partners with youth leaders to support individuals and communities by developing outreach, education, social action, and advocacy initiatives. FNL serves students from 4th through 12th grade in a variety of settings and has a statewide council that links programs to broader initiatives.

Prevention Category

Universal

Practice Level

Individual
Relationship
Community or Society

Strategies

Alternatives

Practice Components

Level
Components
Individual
Civic Responsibility
Cognitive Behavioral Strategies
Goal Setting
Skills Training
Relationship
Peer Norm Development
Peer-Led Approaches
Community/Society
Community-Based Processes
Economic Availability Reduction
Enforce Existing Regulations
Media Campaigns
Retail Availability Reduction
Shifting Community Norms
Social Availability Reduction

Risk and Protective Factors

Risk Factors
Protective Factors
Individual Risk Factors
Favorable attitudes towards substance abuse
Individual Protective Factors
High self-esteem
Positive social orientation (e.g., engaging in healthy activities, accepting of rules and community values, positive social engagement)
Strong coping skills (e.g., problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values)
Family Risk Factors
None
Family Protective Factors
Communication and contact between caregivers and youth
Family environment with structure, rules, predictability, and family supervision
Supportive relationships with family
School, Peer, and Community Risk Factors
Accessibility of substances
Norms favorable towards substance use
Substance use among peers
School, Peer, and Community Protective Factors
Community norms, beliefs, and standards against substance use
Opportunities for prosocial engagement in the school and community
Opportunities for the development of skills and interests
Physical and psychological safety
Presence of mentors and healthy adults for positive emotional support
Positive social norms
Schools and student bodies with strong academic commitment

Population Age

Age 6-12
Age 13-17
Age 18-20

Populations of Focus

Black or African American
Asian
General Population
Hispanic or Latino
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders
Rural

Settings

School (K-12)
Community-based program
Broader community or society
Other

Parental/Caregiver Involvement

No parent or caregiver involvement

Substance Use Prevention Focus

Substance Use - General

Recommended Staffing

Peers
Mentors
Prevention staff
Teachers or educators

Empirical Evidence of Impact

Substance Substance-Related Behavior Population Age Evidence Strength and Study Populations of Focus
Substance use (General) Change in Knowledge, Attitudes, or Beliefs 12-17 Practice-Based Evidence (General Population)1
Substance use (General) Reduced Use or Delayed Initiation 12-17 Practice-Based Evidence (General Population)1
References

1 Tebb, K. (2023). FNL Youth Development Statewide Survey Results, 2022-2023 Program Year. Report prepared for the California Friday Night Live Partnership. Retrieved from https://ocde.us/OCFNLP/Documents/2023%20YDS%20Statewide%20Report%2011_8_23.pdf

Training and Technical Assistance

Friday Night Live provides free technical assistance to support county-level FNL program implementation, and detailed guidance on building a chapter, initial start-up activities, and long-term project planning. Free, in-person training is available upon request, and webinar trainings are offered continuously. A training library and toolkits are available with login, and the FNL website includes free information on standards of practice and core components.

Adaptations

One strength of FNL is that it can be adapted to the needs of local communities and populations. For details on adaptations of FNL, contact the California Friday Night Live Partnership by visiting its website.

Program Costs

Required training and implementation materials are available at no cost.

What California Providers Are Saying

What They Like About Friday Night Live

  • The program is engaging, fun, and effective at building a sense of community.
  • It provides clear guidelines and roadmaps for successful implementation.
  • The content can be adapted to fit the local population and context.
  • The program appears to be effective based on participant engagement, positive parent feedback, and the eagerness of schools to participate.

 

Tips and Recommendations for Implementing Friday Night Live

  • Evaluate the needs of your location and population when deciding how to implement the program.
  • Ensure there is enough time in the mentoring program to complete the curriculum while also engaging with each participant on an individual level.
  • Both small and large Friday Night Live projects can be equally effective, so choose the format that best suits your community and youth.
  • Activities related to environmental prevention and community-level change may need to be adjusted to meet the unique needs of rural areas.
  • Incorporate social and emotional learning components alongside education about substance use to enhance impact.

Labels

Universal,

Individual,
Relationship,
Community/Society, community society,

Information dissemination,
Education,
Alternatives,
Community-based processes, community based processes,
Environmental,

Civic Responsibility,
Cognitive Behavioral Strategies,
Goal Setting,
Skills Training,

Peer Norm Development,
Peer Led Approaches,

Community-based Processes,
Economic Availability Reduction,
Enforce Existing Restrictions on Substance Use,
Media Campaigns,
Retail Availability Reduction,
Shift Community Norms,
Social Availability Reduction,

Favorable attitudes towards substance abuse,

High self-esteem,
Positive social orientation (e.g. engaging in health activities, accepting of rules and community values, positive social engagement),
Strong coping skills (e.g. problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values),

Accessibility of substances,
Norms favorable towards substance use,
Substance use among peers,

Community norms, beliefs, and standards against substance use,
Opportunities for prosocial engagement in the school and community,
Opportunities for the development of skills and interests,
Physical and psychological safety,
Presence of mentors and healthy adults for positive emotional support,
Positive social norms,
Schools and student bodies with strong academic commitment,

Age 6-12, Ages 6-12,
Age 13-17, Ages 13-17,
Age 18-20, Ages 18-20,

General Population,

No parent/caregiver involvement,

Substance Use - General, substance use-general, substance use general, general substance use,

School (K-12), k-12
Community-based program, community based program, community-based program,
Broader Community/Society, community-society, community, society,
Other,

Peers,
Mentors,
Prevention Staff,
Teachers/Educators, teachers educators, teachers-educators,