Education of Youth Aims to Lessen Drug Use
By Kathy Hinders & Crystal Hintzman
In 2013-2014, Douglas County began a group called the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). This group was formed to identify community needs and create a plan to strengthen these needs. As a result, the group selected to implement a prevention program, Too Good For Drugs. This program was designed by the Mendez Foundation to use with 3rd grade students purchased with funding from the Douglas County Sheriff’s department. The goal was to teach skills for living healthy, drug-free lives.
Two volunteer facilitators began this work in the School District of Superior, at Northern Lights Elementary and Great Lakes Elementary. The program was taught in 3rd grade classrooms over a six-week period teaching six different 1-hour lessons, as well as having students complete 30 minute pre- and post-tests.
The Mendez Foundations states, “Our goal of Too Good For Drugs is to reduce risk and build protective factors related to drug use in order to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use”.
The program is designed to provide students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes they need for positive development, to keep them from initiating drug use and to keep the school community drug free.
It addresses the following risk/protective factors:
- Social and emotional competency skills
- Personal efficacy
- Attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
- Perceived norms regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
- Perception of harm/risk regarding alcohol
- Intended use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
- Attachment to the school/teacher.”
Results from the 2014-2015 pre/post-tests showed a significant increase in student knowledge of the protective factors. Teachers were equally positive about the program.
This past year, 2014-2015, the CHIP’s committee decided to continue the program at the original elementary schools. Through additional funding from the Sherriff’s department, add Solon Springs Elementary was added to the project. Plans are being made to expand this program to Northwestern Elementary for the 2015-2016 school year.
The CHIP committee’s ultimate goal is to provide drug prevention to all Douglas County’s schools in the future.
