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Walla Walla Valley PACEs Connection (WA)

A New Drug Prevention Program - Sure Beats ACEs

 

PREVENTION/EDUCATION -- 

 

I was recently asked to comment on developing a new drug prevention program. A format was given and these are the questions I was asked to address:

  1. What would be your goals for the program? 
  2. What current model, from a Drugs and Society text book, would you use and why?
  3. What components would you include?  Explain how your program components would be designed and what they would include.
  4. Would you make any changes if you worked with elementary students?

Try as I might, I couldn’t find anything in the text book that mentioned trying something new. There was nothing there that I felt would offer a long term sustainable solution to the drug problems.  In good conscious I couldn’t support the insanity of doing the same thing and expecting a different result. So I jumped quickly out of the box and replied with the following.

If I were a high school teacher developing a drug prevention program there would be no discussion about drugs. A text book would not be used. The program would consist of a Maker Space complete with art classes of all kinds, wood shop, dance, metal shop, drama, improv, dramatic writing, drama production and design, film making, game design, music, recorded music, photography and imaging, and every other kind of thought provoking, mind creative programs that have yet to be developed.

These classes would be designed to include collaboration, innovation, and creativity. I would eliminate the terms student and teacher and replace them with artists and guides. The walls would be covered with art specifically chosen to excite imagination and creativity. Psychedelic colors would decorate the furniture, walls, ceilings and floors. The goal would be such an abundant flow of enthusiasm and creativity flooding the minds and hearts of the artists that adverse brain circuitry would be rewired and the desire for drugs would become obsolete.

 

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Comments (1)

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What a great idea, Ty. I would also include education about ACEs science, and encouraging the students to use the new knowledge in their creative projects!

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