Leadership Teams Now in NINE Schools

Welcome back to Kim’s Korner!

Oh my gosh! I have some exciting news about our GameChanger schools and am so happy to share it with you! As I explained in my previous blog, much data collection has occurred over the first semester, including a recent Prevention Assessment. This assessment is helping us to better understand how our prevention initiatives are working and the challenges our local communities face. We have also conducted a Student Attitudes and Behavior Survey that examines middle and high school student substance use. Data from these assessments have been shared with surveyed schools and are now being applied to enhance our prevention programs. I’m very proud and excited to report that our GameChanger Education Program is currently taking place in 9 middle and high schools and 3 elementary schools.  

Beginning this semester, Peer Leadership Teams are being developed in 9 of our GameChanger middle and high schools!  These Peer Leadership Teams are made up of students who choose not to use substances. They are delivering the message to their school communities that, while some students may be misusing substances, most of our students are making healthy choices. 

GameChanger leadership team students are training to become dynamic public speakers and role models for their peers and younger students. Leadership teams receive 3 days of training. Team members will speak at elementary schools in their home counties – explaining why they have chosen not to misuse drugs and alcohol.  They are empowered to take leadership roles and present GameChanger as a student-powered initiative. Each Peer Leadership Team has a GameChanger in-school coach and a group of advisors that help with planned activities and fundraising. Together, these teams are spreading the message that substance misuse in middle and high school is not the norm and is definitely not cool!

So far, three of our nine middle and high school teams have been trained in peer leadership, and in blogs to come, I will be featuring these schools!

The rest will be trained throughout March, April, and May. Students in our three elementary schools will receive Intensive Student Education over four days, with training beginning this month. Intensive Education programs focus on healthy decision-making, reinforce positive behaviors, and plant seeds that grow healthy lifestyles.

Please keep checking back for updates and features on our Peer Leadership Teams! Bye for now!