The Leatherstocking Regional Consortium for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse was developed in the early 90's after the group's successful grant application to the U.S. Department of Education. Originally, college and community prevention providers from this area traveled to either the Capitol Region or the Central Region for consortia meetings. It became clear that there was a need to develop a consortium for this very rural region with smaller colleges The Leatherstocking Consortia was born.

The region includes colleges and community-based providers from Delaware, Herkimer, Otsego and Schoharie Counties. The name of the consortia was derived from New York's official designation of the south central part of the state as the "Leatherstocking Region." This designation is rooted in the rich history of the area made famous by author James Fennimore Cooper in his series "The Leatherstocking Tales."

The group has been active from its inception with activities such as: A President's Forum on Retention and Substance Abuse; A regional drive-in conference on addressing substance abuse on college campuses; Peer Educator and Student Leadership retreats; a Campus/Community Strategic Planning day; on-going meetings for support, networking, idea sharing, technical assistance, and strategy development.

Julie Dostal, Co-Chair
Dale Capristo, Co-Chair