The Extended Workshop (4-5 Days)
We believe alcohol and drug education should provide honest and balanced information and at the same time connect with student assistance services for the minority whose use of alcohol or other drugs poses a problem to themselves or others.
Drug education for teenagers should be delivered in a genuinely interactive process that promotes involvement, trust, and mutual respect. Honesty is a necessary condition for a truly interactive learning process. Honesty means examining both sides of all issues relating to alcohol and other drug use. Most teenagers quickly perceive half-truths and exaggerations as just more scare tactics and indoctrination.
Our purpose is to host meaningful and social relevant conversations that transform individuals, leaders, and schools, as well as for ourselves, through meaningful conversations that lead to wiser collective actions for the common good. We believe the conversation is what matters, the conversation is the intervention.
We encourage participation by teens in setting the agenda, sharing experiences, freedom to ask questions, flexibility in the order of topics, and opportunity to share responsibility for making the process a success.
“Drug education when done well will help students deepen and connect the conversation between the conscious and unconscious life of a teen’s relationship with alcohol, other drugs, and mental health.” – Jeff Wolfsberg
Target Areas and Protective Factors to Increase
- Enhance & clarify those values in support of abstaining from drugs and delaying alcohol use.
- Create awareness of personal drinking and drug using patterns
- Support and encourage non-use – encourage delaying – increase involvement in safe alcohol-free activities
- Distinguish between the healthy use and abuse of alcohol
- Teach the legal status and potential legal consequences of underage purchase and possession/consumption of alcohol by those under the age of 21 (message altered for international schools).
- Increase awareness of personal vulnerability towards addiction
- Create better awareness of safer choices around alcohol and marijuana use without condoning use.
- Increase awareness and comfort using “helping” resources within the community.
Target Areas and Risk Factors to Decrease
- Erroneous attitudes about heavy drinking. We compassionately confront and explore assumptions and offer new distinctions regarding alcohol, other drug use, and mental health.
- False information about gender and alcohol, alcohol absorption, rates of use among peer group (social norming)
- Belief “it won’t happen to me”
*The graph above credit to UpFront Programs
Related Documents
- A Closer Look at Day Two – Alcohol If you are looking for specific content, here is a closer look at day 2 of our seminar.
