underage drinking intervention/prevention

the problem:

The AWARENESS Program is a teen empowerment and community building program in which high school students use modeling to informally teach middle school students pro-social skills with a special focus in tolerance skills, during recreational activities that constitute healthy alternatives to alcohol/other drug abuse. Goal: To meet as regularly as possible. To begin to impact the substance abusing aspects of our schools culture by providing as many mentoring groups as appropriate. Population Targeted: Each group has at least twelve high school students and up to 35 middle school students who represent economically, ethnically, physically and socially diverse groups that include at-risk and achieving students per group. Training: The High School students are trained through the Mental Health Association on how to build self confidence and interact, plan and participate in fun activities and events with Middle School age student’s to promote substance free, fun events. AWARENESS is a mentoring program focusing on building developmental relationships (that focus on meeting the developmental needs of youth as opposed to fixing the youth, i.e., prescriptive relationships) The AWARENESS Program will be using 2 Mentors to 5 youth ratio so that we can maximize more one to one contact within the group. This group has an Administrator that is a High School Junior. There are two Coordinators per High School grade level. It is set up so that the underclassmen coordinators shadow and work within the group with the intent they will age up to the Senior Coordinating positions. The Mentors complete the training given by the Mental Health Association Trainer, they then run the group themselves with the support of one adult Consultant/Coordinator to ensure safety and help with funding and planning. I am the Consultant Coordinator for this group. Check out our web site www.hvinet.com/awareness/ Please feel free to call me with any questions. Sincerely, Marie Shultis [personal information edited out by DS staff]

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