Prevention Education programs and presentations are available to kids of all ages and to adults interested in positive youth development and student success.

Our programs for children are science-based (proven effective) and SOL-friendly.  We offer curricula for entire classrooms and for smaller groups of students as arranged.  Some of our programs currently available include:

Al’s Pals is a preschool and kindergarten program that teaches children about emotions, safety, and other social skills.  Al and his friends are puppets who visit children in their classrooms to talk to them about important growing-up issues.  Currently, Al’s Pals is a popular program in 16 Rockbridge Area classrooms!     (Preschool– Kindergarten)

Too Good For Violence is great for the entire classroom, meets character education guidelines, empowers all students to live without violence, and teaches the “CARE” components: Conflict resolution, Anger management, Respect for self & others and Effective communication.  (Grades K – 5)  There is also a 9th grade program, Too Good For Drugs & Violence.

Life Skills Training is a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on self-image, violence in the media, coping with anger, anxiety, peer pressure, stress management, social skills, assertiveness, and resolving conflicts (Grades 3 – 8)

Here's Looking At You is a research-based curriculum which focuses on the gateway drugs of alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana and delivers strong abstinence messages.  It is designed to promote healthy norms, increase protective factors, and reduce risk factors that have been correlated with drug use.

(Grades 4, 5 & 9)

Girl Power! is a prevention program for girls making the transition to middle school. It is a combination of strong “no use” messages about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and the exploration of healthy alternatives. Informational presentations, recreational activities, and service learning components foster the development of skills in critical thinking, communication, and building positive relationships.  This program also addresses physical activity, nutrition, safe dating, mental health, and other issues.   (5th Grade)

Guiding Good Choices is a science-based, proven-effective ATOD-prevention program that gives parents the skills they need to ensure the future well-being of their children. Typically implemented as a series of workshops for parents, this program is intended to reduce the likelihood that children age 9 to 14 will develop substance abuse and other problem behaviors in adolescence. The accompanying workbooks provide parents with activities and discussion topics, as well as skill-building exercises and information on positive parenting.

Supporting School Success is a research-based parent involvement program for parents of children in grades K-3. Parents in the Supporting School Success program learn how to support their child's academic achievement, improve communication at home, and reduce misbehavior. The accompanying workbooks, which contain family activities, skill-building exercises, tips on positive parenting, and more, are a valuable resource for use both in the workshops and at home.

Girl Talk! Girl Talk is a student-to-student mentoring program that pairs middle school girls with high school girls who serve as mentors. Weekly meetings are held after school, during which the high school leader conducts valuable lessons that address issues middle school girls face every day. Some examples of weekly lessons are Being Nice, Underage Drinking, and How to Talk to Your Parents. Girl Talk has several lessons that have additional resources for our adult leaders, advisors and parents including Choices & Consequences of Underage Drinking: A Guide for the Mom of a Teenage Girl. Girl Talk chapters are also involved in community service projects throughout the year.

Girl Talk helps middle school girls build self-esteem, learn the importance of community service and most importantly, benefit from a valuable relationship with a high school Girl Talk mentor. In turn, the high school leaders gain a sense of accomplishment knowing they’ve helped make a difference in the lives of many young girls.

We also provide topical presentations for parents, teachers and students on several current issues:

• Adolescent Development
• Drugs and the Teenage Brain
• Social and Emotional Learning
• Media Violence
• Internet Safety
• Bullying
• Eating Disorders
• Methamphetamine (one of the top illicit drug problems in rural Virginia!)
• Skittling and DXM (over-the-counter drug abuse)
• Inhalants     

We may be able to prepare presentations for other topics as well – just ask!

We can also provide booths, presentations, and materials for the following National Awareness Campaigns:

• TV Turn-off Week
• Red Ribbon Week (Substance Abuse Prevention)
• None-For-The-Road (Drunk Driving Prevention)
• Kick Butts Day (Smoking Cessation) and Great American Smokeout
• Inhalants Week

We may be able to prepare materials for other observances as well – just ask!

To Ask About Our Services

Please Contact

Wendy C. Morgan, Prevention Manager

540.462.6640

• Wendy C. Morgan , M.A., Manager of Prevention & Public Relations wmorgan@racsb.org
• Vacant, Director of Family, Youth, and Prevention Services

Other Websites of Interest

Al’s Pals: www.wingspanworks.com

Girl Power!: http://girlshealth.gov/

The Partnership for a Drug Free America: www.drugfree.org

Net Safe Kids: http://search.nap.edu/netsafekids

SAMHSA Parenting Site: http://family.samhsa.gov

Life Skills Training: http://www.lifeskillstraining.com/

Mendez Foundation: www.mendezfoundation.com

 The Community of Concern: http://www.thecommunityofconcern.org/