This month’s School Health Programs Department campaign focuses
on positive alternatives to drug use.
During Red Ribbon Week, students participate
in events such as taking a drug and alcohol free pledge and learning
about substance use prevention. Wearing a red ribbon shows a commitment
to a healthy, drug free lifestyle.
Schools are encouraged to participate in Lights
On Afterschool, a nationwide event highlighting the
importance of afterschool programs, which keep kids safe, help
working families and improve academic achievement. Schools
should emphasize tobacco and drug free policy.
BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS
Asset #12- School Boundaries
Asset #14- Adult Role Models
Asset #16-High Expectations
School provides clear rules and consequences by posting rules
in classrooms and hallways. School rules and expectations are
distributed through the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook.
Schools make regular contact with families for positive student
feedback as well as for disciplinary reasons.
Asset Building
Activities
Asset #12, #16- Establish
school rules and high expectations with students at the start of
the year. Create community agreements and youth participation of
school rules by including students in the creation of expectations
and consequences. Students can create posters illustrating the
rules to display around the school.
Asset #14- Encourage positive
behavior and opportunities for relationship building with youth
by scheduling time during the week to hold open office hours in
your classroom for students to receive individual support.
Asset #16- Start the year
on a positive and proactive note with parents and guardians- make
positive phone calls home to report on student successes and share
your expectations of students.
Other Youth Development Activities
to Implement Health Awareness
• Work with your After School Program to hold a “Lights
On After School!” Event on October 16th (National
Lights On After School day) and invite parents, local businesses
and politicians to participate. 
Connect with your school’s ExCEL
After School Programs Site Coordinator and check out www.afterschoolalliance.org for
resources. Include youth in planning, preparing and presenting
of activities.
• Conduct an activity for youth to learn about support
services in San Francisco.
Have students access the Youthline website http://www.youthline.org/ or
call the youth line hotline at 1-888-977-3399. Youthline is a telephone-based
service fully staffed and operated by young people, called "Youthline
Listeners." Youthline provides callers with confidential and
anonymous peer-to-peer conversation, the ability to get detailed
information about all youth programs and services in San Francisco,
and first-stage crisis intervention.
• Have students create a youth-designed Drug Education
campaign (postcards, posters, bulletin boards, public
service announcements) to educate others on the effects of drugs
and alcohol.
Contact: TILT for media education activities (415)
701-8458 and Just THINK for media literacy and teen health activities
(415) 561-2900
• Conduct a youth debate this month with topics
such as Steroids in Athletics to have youth
research facts for the debate.
• Work with Health Initiatives
for Youth (HIFY) to plan youth panel on drug-education peer education. Have
students research questions to ask the group or plan a follow
up project after the youth panel to share this information with
their school.
Contact: Health Initiatives for Youth (HIFY) (415)
274-1970
Learn
more about asset building.
