A group of White Center students is making an effort to change the way people look at their community, literally, by pressuring local business owners to remove tobacco and alcohol advertisements from their store windows.

The students are part of the "New Start" youth program based in White Center that provides teenagers in the community with an alternative education program, career exploration services, and leadership development. The title "Operation Storefront" was proposed by Seattle Neighborhood Group, a local non-profit agency that provided funding for the program.

The students collected data on the amount of alcohol and tobacco advertising in the storefront windows of neighborhood businesses, which is noticeably higher in lower-income areas like White Center and Burien, and can contribute to negative stereotypes about the community and the people who live there.

"People from outside White Center have a perception that it is not safe," says Kathy Kaminski, the Drug-Free Communities coordinator with Seattle Neighborhood Group, "But, in fact, it is a thriving small business community."

Kaminski also sees ulterior motives in the advertising efforts of alcohol and tobacco companies, specifically unfair targeting of low income communities that have high populations of young people.

"It send a message to young people that alcohol and tobacco use is the norm in the community and that it is available everywhere."

The negative effects of alcohol and tobacco advertising on youth aren't just superstition. The U.S. surgeon general has reported that this type of advertising "encourages children or young adults to experiment with tobacco and thereby slip into regular use" and "creates an environment in which tobacco use is seen as familiar and acceptable and the warnings about its health are undermined."

But the kids of "Operation Storefront" are changing that environment. After the initial surveillance of area businesses, the students went door-to-door in their neighborhoods with a petition requesting that storeowners remove the advertisements from their windows. The students got over 200 signatures from White Center residents supporting their proposal.

The students then took that petition back to the 20 stores with the most window advertisements, and pleaded with them to listen to their community and remove the signs. Although there have been few changes made as a direct result of the petition, those involved in the project see it as an important first step towards community awareness.

"My youth understood that they would not be getting an immediate result," says Sopha Danh, the New Start coordinator who oversaw the project, "But they were still willing to do it."

"It has a big impact on the community," says Rosalito Pancho, a New Start student who contributed to the project, "But it takes time for it to kick in."

Perhaps more important are the life skills gained by the students. For many of them, this was their first time advocating an issue and engaging themselves in their community.

"I liked doing the project," says Pancho, "It helped me learn how brave you have to be to petition and get signatures."

"I think the kids got a sense of pride from the project," aggress Kaminski, "They felt the larger support of their community, which spurred a larger commitment to that community."

Whitney Cork is a University of Washington NewsLab student and can be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com