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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Three hundred twenty-five 6th grade students, 200 volunteers, 16 vignettes and one message: Choices… What are Yours?
The Tahoe Youth and Family Services hosted its 12th annual Drug Store Project in South Lake Tahoe March 31 at the Lake Tahoe Community College. Volunteers from 45 agencies came together in an effort to teach kids about the serious consequences associated with choosing to use and abuse drugs and alcohol.
“Our mantra is ‘Choices… What are Yours?’” Lisa Huard, the Drug Store Project coordinator said. “Regardless of what [the students] have been taught, at the end of the day, it’s going to be their own choices that affect their lives and the lives of people around them.”
The 6th graders went through a series of 16 stations throughout the day. Some stations were law enforcement demonstrations intended to introduce students to positive role models in their community. Other stations were interactive scenes designed to show the students the legal, medical and emotional ramifications that drugs have, not only on the person who uses them, but on families and friends as well.
Huard said one of the goals of the program is to teach the students that their choices affect others. “The key piece for us is to get kids to think beyond themselves in the moment,” she said.
In addition to the anti-drug message, the program aims to get children thinking about the future – from the location of the event to the volunteers who participate, the message students receive is that making good choices now will lead to more opportunities in the future.
The California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force has been involved in the program since it started in 2003.
“I think it is important for us to participate,” Sgt. 1st Class Neil Medlar, a civil operations noncommissioned officer said. “It shows that we are part of their community and kids see us as good mentors.”
Throughout the year, Medlar and his team attend community coalition meetings, helping to plan the event and coordinate volunteers.
Medlar said there are many anti-drug programs that also give students a lot of good information, but the Drug Store Project is an interactive event that actively engages the students in the vignettes.
“This type of program betters the community,” he said. “It’s not just a fun event, but something that actually makes a difference.”
Each year, students take surveys, providing feedback to Huard and her team so that they can continuously improve the program and make the message stronger.
The feedback Huard receives from students is very positive. “Overall, the kids say it is informative and worthwhile,” she said.
Additionally, counselors from Tahoe Youth and Family Services visit each class to follow-up with the students after the event.
“As long as kids come away with better knowledge, a way to make good choices and a better way to think about consequences, then we have been successful,” Medlar said.
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2015 13:32 |
| Story ID: | 159093 |
| Location: | SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Annual Drug Store Project a success, by 1LT Brianne Roudebush, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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