Justin McLean didn't have very many friends as an eighth-grader at Creekside Middle School. But now, as a 16-year-old junior at Castro Valley High, he has plenty.

That's because the Advanced Placement student is a member of Youth to Youth. It's an international substance abuse program with a chapter at Castro Valley High that partners with the Castro Valley Community Action Network (CV CAN).

Since 2003, CV CAN — which is made up of youth, parents, school district and law enforcement officials, business owners, church leaders and health-care experts — has been fighting drug and alcohol abuse among Castro Valley youth.

"We try to break down clique walls, creating a closer family feel," Justin said of the youth-led program in which students facilitate panel discussions, skits and games designed to build self-esteem, communication skills and resistance to substance abuse.

During the program's annual one-day conference, high school leaders guide their middle-school peers through leadership building activities.

It was within this setting that Justin found friends when he attended his first Youth to Youth conference after finishing middle school in summer 2008.

"I wish I would've had more things like this when I was in middle school," he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, his wish came partially true. After pitching the idea to Traci Cross, director of CV CAN, Justin was granted the chance to start the first Youth to Youth program at Creekside.

Camp leader-style, he introduced the program to about seven students, some of them recruited for the meeting minutes before it began. Others learned of the event from fliers that were passed out a week in advance.

No matter how they got there, participants shared common goals: building leadership, learning to make positive life choices and having fun.

"What should our (club) guidelines be?" Justin asked his recruits.

Arrington Bridges, a 12-year-old seventh-grader, raised his hand. "We should be cordial and be a good person," he said, adding that he showed up at Wednesday's meeting to "better myself and get to know more people."

Other students suggested guidelines such as confidentiality. "We get into some pretty deep stuff," said Kaitlin Beckman, who already was familiar with the program. "Just to have a group of people who keep your business personal" is a good thing.

Justin's mom, Amy Fernandez, also attended the meeting in support of her son's new venture.

"I thought it was great when he said he wanted to do this," Fernandez said. "His main reason for wanting this program in the middle schools is that it's harder to reach (students) at the high-school level."

Fernandez said her son often gets bored with school, and functions best with a full plate of responsibilities, including playing the piano, studying French and maintaining mostly A's in school.

"He's very driven to what he thinks is the right thing to do," Fernandez said. "He loves Youth to Youth. It's been an avenue for other things," including friendships.

"I'm going to bring them together as a family in a safe environment," Justin said  of his plans for the middle-school club. He ended his first meeting with a game that required students to be supportive of each other's whimsical, spoken thoughts.

"I'm amazed at how many people showed up with just a one-week warning," said Cross, who attended the meeting. "I appreciate Justin's enthusiasm in wanting to bring this forward."

At the end of the meeting, he introduced students to something that most friends like to do.

"We usually end our meetings with something we call a hug."