City of Passaic Mayor Hector Lora’s Youth Council launched the #MySomethingBetter campaign and competition on Jan. 31. The program is open to all Passaic high schools until Feb. 24.

The competition invites individual youths or clubs to create a 10-second video showcasing their “something better” to do than violence, gangs and drugs. Winners will be selected per school and awarded $100 for club submission or $30 for youth submission.

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The purpose of the #mysomething better campaign is to instill inspiration and awareness in our city’s youth

— Amy Zarebczan

“The purpose of the #mysomethingbetter campaign is to instill inspiration and awareness in our city’s youth,” said Youth Council member and Deputy Mayor of the Youth Amy Zarebczan. “Drugs, alcohol, and gang affiliation impact our country’s youth across the nation and our city can truly turn that around. Our youth has to focus on what motivates them, and this campaign will instill that in them,”

The campaign was created in response to Nancy Reagan’s campaign “Just Say No” to drugs from the 1980s. Passaic seeks to address why you should say no through the responses of Passaic youth showcasing what is better than drugs, violence and gangs. 

The Passaic Youth Council hopes the campaign gains popularity throughout the city and state.

For more rules regarding the competition, see the Passaic Youth Council’s official instagram @passaic_youth_council.