Ty Sells

Recognized as an individual who cares deeply for the wellbeing of youth, Ty is known for his charisma and leadership. Not just a speaker, Ty brings over 30 years of experience in drug prevention, community service, and youth development. Ty is an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant, has a BA in Communication from The Ohio State University and is currently the Director of Speaker Services for Youth to Youth International in Columbus, Ohio. In 2012, Ty was awarded the “Prevention Innovator of the Year” Award by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for his development of creative prevention trainings and consultation with schools and organizations across the state. He has developed a number of trainings, workshops, and presentations for both youth and adults to address the many complex issues that confront today’s young people.

Keep scrolling for details on youth and adult presentations…

ADULT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Adult keynotes and trainings are designed for teacher in-services, parent programs, and adult ally education.

CREATING CONNECTIONS THAT COUNT

This presentation gives adults practical ways they can make young people feel more valued and cared for, to then build stronger connections and influence more effectively. In an interactive and exciting way, participants will learn practical and proven ways to engage and connect with teens.

Quality, accurate, and relevant information isn’t enough to inspire students to learn. Adults must first establish a connection with their young people before knowledge can be shared. Not just for beginners, this course is for any adult who works with young people. Participants will learn new ideas and techniques, but they will also remember things they have forgotten. It has been said, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Making a connection, letting a young person know you care, is the quickest way to get them “ready.”   Once they are “ready”, there is no limit to what they can accomplish.

Learning objectives include:

  • learning how to create an environment conducive to creating connections

  • the 5 key principles to be more effective with youth

  • working with youth without suffering burn out

  • practical techniques to inspire youth

  • examining attitudes toward young people

Creating Connections that Count can also be tailored to parents of adolescents helping them learn ways to connect positively with their own children.

PRIME

“It’s not just what you say, but how you say it”. Your message is important, but if it isn’t heard it can’t make an impact. Not only have scare tactics been proven ineffective in teens, they can also increase risk-taking behavior and perpetuate stigma. Whether it’s a campaign, a flyer, or a presentation, learn how to make your message Practical, Receivable, Interesting, Memorable, and Engaging, so that what you say will make a lasting change.

Participants will walk away with effective youth-led prevention communication strategies to improve positive behavioral health outcomes and reduce barriers to both youth and family engagement.

MAKING THE WAY EASY - ADULT ADVISOR TRAINING

This training will energize, enlighten, and enhance your expertise and confidence, as well as provide practical resources and real-world strategies proven to be effective in the field of youth-led prevention. Select the topics that best meet the needs of your advisors and design your own half to full-day training.

Available topics include:

  • Examining our attitudes towards youth

  • Elements of effective prevention

  • Practical techniques to inspire youth

  • Addressing the “HOWs” of incorporating youth-led prevention into programming

  • 6 key questions to facilitate young people in developing meaningful content

YOUTH PRESENTATIONS

Youth keynotes and workshops are designed for middle school, high school, and college students.

FINDING HOPE

The feeling of loss of control is something we all deal with from time to time. It can be frightening and overwhelming, but there is hope. By accepting what you can’t control, learning to manage your attitude and response, and seeking authentic positivity to bring life into balance, you can directly impact the outcome for the better.

Participants will learn how mastering their response in difficult situations builds trust that in turn improves your life, relationships, and overall mental health.

CLEAR THE AIR

Marijuana use is on the rise with high school students across the United States and this increase is often attributed to a lowered perception of risk. Young people think smoking pot is “no big deal” or even “safe”. Much of what they believe is based on myths and organized talking points they have heard from their friends, pro-legalization forces, and even the media. While there are countless ways for students to find accurate information, there are just as many places to find misinformation. This presentation will get behind the smoke screen and engage youth in a conversation about marijuana, dispelling the most common misconceptions to assist youth in making their own healthier decisions.

This presentation can also be provided for parents and adults that work with teens; examining strategies to effectively speak to youth about marijuana, vaping, or other substance use.

THE POWER OF ACCEPTANCE

This fun, youth-oriented presentation challenges young people to examine the way they treat others who are “different”, as well as how they adjust their own behaviors to meet perceived criteria of “cool”. It empowers youth to make positive choices and teaches how those choices impact their lives and the lives of those around them. Cool always changes, but acceptance and kindness never go out of style.

Along with making the audience laugh as they learn, this presentation makes five core points:

  • It is perfectly acceptable to make the choice to stay or become drug free

  • The way we treat others can influence the choices that they make

  • Cool always changes

  • Knowledge isn’t power, it’s potential power

  • It’s what we DO with the things we learn where the true power lies.

The speech is appropriate for middle and high school students and is proven to make an impact in the minds of young people and leaves a lasting impression long after the presentation is over.

WHAT AUDIENCES ARE SAYING

  • "Ty was engaging, funny, personal, and thought provoking. He was absolutely fantastic! We had rave reviews from our school administrators who attended earlier session and attendees really found him engaging." - Rocky Hill CT Youth Services

  • “Ty does an amazing job of disarming students so they can accept new information that can challenge their thinking and in the process, model this communication/teaching style to adults.” – Ohio Guidestone

  • “He was SO GOOD at connecting with not only the youth but the volunteers as well! He set the entire tone for the rest of the conference and we had an amazing time listening to him talk about finding hope!” - Fayette County Prevention Coalition

  • “Ty was great to work with! Once given the theme we wanted presented and the format with student panelists, Ty wove in the theme and the students into the session.” - Hawaii Dept of Education

  • “Our students loved Ty's message. They spoke about how motivational and inspiring his presentation was.” - Marion Crawford Prevention Programs

  • “I was thoroughly impressed with how he connected with such a diverse group of administrators.” – Summit Educational Service Center

Questions about presentations or looking for more information to help plan your event?

Contact Julia Hall, Speaker Services and Training Coordinator, jhall@compdrug.org