Future Leaders of America (published October 2025)

Future Leaders of America 2025 1-E-3 Material Development Process Case Study Summary

Inside

Introduction .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Methods .................................... 2 Key Findings ................................ 3 Conclusion .................................. 5

Introduction In California, Hispanic/Latino adults are among the least likely racial/ethnic populations to live in jurisdictions with smokefree multi-unit housing (MUH) policies, with only 12.7% local policy coverage. Additionally, they are among the least likely in the state to experience protection from secondhand smoke via local policy (86.8%, as compared to Asians at 91.8%). 1 To address health disparities related to tobacco use and exposure, California Tobacco Prevention Program (CTPP)- funded projects like the Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California (TECC), a project of ETR, work to engage with programs serving populations that experience increased tobacco-related risks. The elevated

12.7%

CA Hispanic/Latinos living in a jurisdiction with local smokefree MUH policy

tobacco-related risks for Hispanic/Latino communities highlights the importance of the work being done by Hispanic/Latino serving organizations, including Future Leaders of America (FLA) and its Tobacco Endgame project, which promotes tobacco prevention efforts in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The information presented in this case study focuses on the collaborative adaptation of an existing TECC material (J561 Please Don’t Smoke in Our Home) by FLA staff and the Carpinteria Future Leaders of America Master Achievers (FLAMA) Youth Council. The adaptation of the fact card to a brochure was initially intended to educate MUH residents and property managers about the negative effects of secondhand smoke and encourage support of a citywide, smokefree MUH policy. However, during the adaptation process, the city of Carpinteria adopted a smokefree MUH housing policy. As a result, the material’s focus pivoted to promoting awareness of the forthcoming policy and sharing information about the community’s support for it (see Figures 1-2). The city of Carpinteria has about 13,200 residents, 41.3% of whom self-identified as Hispanic. 2

J561 Please Don’t Smoke in Our Home

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1-E-3 Material Development Process Case Study Summary | Future Leaders of America, 2025

Methods To understand FLA’s educational material development process, TECC staff conducted a series of four in-depth interviews with FLA staff members. A semi-structured interview guide was employed during interviews to ensure the relevance of the data collected while also remaining flexible to novel themes relevant to participants’ experiences. The guide focused on various topics, including format of the materials, visual elements, written content, material distribution, and lessons learned.

Figure 1: Final Design of Brochure, front and back cover and inside panel

Figure 2: Final Design of Brochure, inside

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1-E-3 Material Development Process Case Study Summary | Future Leaders of America, 2025

Key Findings

Format

Written Content

Case study participants discussed how the brochure format: + Provides ample space for meaningful, descriptive graphics to accompany reduced wording and increase accessibility. + Is versatile and can be shared at in person events, around the community, online, and through social media. + Facilitates face-to-face engagement through its distribution, allowing for conversations about the enclosed information.

Case study participants shared that:

+ Since the original fact card was selected for its alignment with the FLAMA Youth Council’s desired messaging, the team focused on enhancing the material’s accessibility by breaking up the text across the brochure to make it easier to digest and less overwhelming. + Tailoring the material to include information on Carpinteria’s smokefree MUH ordinance, the FLAMA Youth Council’s mission, and community survey data helps evoke a sense of connection and empathy among readers. + Use of the first-person plural, such as “our home,” “our efforts,” and “our mission,” helps pull the reader in and relate to the message. + A Spanish version of the brochure was essential for ensuring community accessibility. Following the completion of the English adaptation a bilingual intern conducted the translation, which was then reviewed alongside the original English version for accuracy by bilingual FLA staff.

“We consider everyone’s educational background and literacy level. We’re trying to make it easy for everyone to understand.”

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1-E-3 Material Development Process Case Study Summary | Future Leaders of America, 2025

Visual Elements

Youth Engagement The Carpinteria FLAMA Youth Council played a fundamental role in the educational brochure’s development, leading the ideation around replacing the visual elements, adding the survey data, and reformatting the written content. FLA staff noted that when working with youth: + Their expertise can help ensure that the resulting material will connect with local residents and generate a sense of empathy among readers. + It is important to provide them with mutually beneficial opportunities that serve their community and expand their skillset, knowledge, and/or experience. Doing so empowers and mobilizes youth to advocate for themselves and their community. + Collaboration doesn’t have to end when they complete the program. FLA staff recruited a program alum and former FLAMA Youth Council leader studying graphic design at a state university to design the brochure’s layout and illustrations. As a result, she was able to contribute her talents to her community while simultaneously developing her professional capabilities.

Case study participants explained that:

+ Incorporating local, recognizable places and faces in the brochure’s imagery, including FLAMA Youth Council members, helps emphasize that the educational material was made specifically for the community and encourages connection. + Including the community survey data that was collected by the FLAMA Youth Council and youth-led coalition members helped further tailor the brochure to Carpinteria and demonstrate community sentiments, allowing readers to see themselves in the data. It is also important to note that including data visualizations, like the pie chart and bar graphs, made the data easier to understand and more eye catching. + Descriptive imagery that complements and supports messaging increases the accessibility and understandability of educational materials. In this case, the original fact card’s housing images were replaced with an illustration of MUH that includes a diverse array of residents.

“[The community survey data] represent their friends and neighbors. ‘Oh, my neighbors feel this way too? I thought I was the only one.’”

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1-E-3 Material Development Process Case Study Summary | Future Leaders of America, 2025

Conclusion This case study on the development of Future Leaders of America—Tobacco Endgame’s smokefree MUH brochure with the Carpinteria FLAMA Youth Council provides valuable insight into collaborating with youth on the formation of educational materials and ensuring connection with a local audience. While FLA facilitated the process and provided administrative oversight, Carpinteria’s FLAMA Youth Council led the creative development of messaging and visual elements for the brochure, providing local insight and feedback throughout the process. FLAMA Youth Council members then went on to plan and implement door-to-door

distribution of the brochure and present it to their City Council, allowing them to strengthen their skills in community engagement, public speaking, and advocacy. Moreover, FLA’s dedication to youth engagement and capacity building continues beyond the Youth Council program, as evidenced by the engagement of program alum. Overall, FLA’s experience with creating the smokefree MUH brochure their collaboration with the Carpinteria FLAMA Youth Council provides an insightful learning opportunity for tobacco prevention projects and contributes to the evidence base for the development of community focused educational materials.

Sources 1. CA Tobacco Control Tobacco-Related Disparity Indicators Dashboard 2. Data USA: Carpinteria, CA

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1-E-3 Material Development Process Case Study Summary | Future Leaders of America, 2025