A.D.A.A.
Alcohol and Drug Awareness in Adolescense
About Us
Hyanne Souza
Hyanne Souza is a sophomore at HHS, she is an athlete at HHS and is interested in helping teens and athletes get help to stop using alcohol and drugs.
Isabella Oliveira
Isabella Oliveira is a sophomore at HHS, she is a 3-sport athlete passionate about supporting fellow students and athletes in understanding the effects of alcohol and drug misuse.
Targeted Sustainable Development Goal
Why did we choose this project?
We chose this project because we are both passionate about wanting to help those who are seeking help from a struggle caused by drug and alcohol usage. That is why we decided to work together as a group. We are both student-athletes. These qualities could benefit athetes and students in Holliston because we are planning to find ways to support those who are seeking the help and encouragement they may need.
Community Needs
The core of our approach is to provide a supportive environment for teens. Instead of imposing penalizing measures, we believe in reaching out to those who have had an encounter with substance misuse or are actively seeking assistance. We view mandatory counseling not as a punishment, but as a proactive step to prevent further substance use. Our focus is not just on intervention, but also on education and prevention. We want to provide teens with knowledge about the potential risks and consequences of drug and alcohol misuse. By doing so, we hope to empower them to make better decisions for themselves. We believe that with the right guidance and support, we can help teens navigate these challenging years without giving in to the hazards of substance misuse.
A.D.A.A. PSA
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Our partnership is with Zoe Moreau from Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition (HDAAC) and Holliston Youth and Family Services. She has been a crucial partner in our objective to help spread awareness around our school and community about substance misuse in order to take action. Zoe has created a focus group where we were able to collect data that we were able to include in the slides we have created. Zoe's efforts are truly beneficial to us in making progress in our cause.
Zoe Moreau, Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition (HDAAC) and Holliston Youth and Family Services, moreauz@holliston.k12.ma.us
Our Project Goals
Our goal is to spread awareness of drug and alcohol misuse and its causes and effects. Our main priority is to find a way to help students who are seeking help. For students who misuse drugs and alcohol, we believe in consequences for actions, but also in providing a pathway towards recovery. As athletes, we are aware that a handful may want to quit using substances by seeking help to have a form of support but fear the repercussions of their actions ruled by MIAA such as suspension from a percentage of the season´s games or expulsion from the team. We agree with enforcing rules, but we also believe in adding supportive measures such as counseling or support groups to the MIAA's existing chemical health education program. This way, as a community we can truly help those struggling with substance misuse to recover and move forward.
Project Progress
So far we have had three meetings with our partner Zoe Moreau. She was able to host two focus groups with questions regarding students opinions on the misusage. In addition Zoe Moreau was able to generously give us data collected from MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey from Holliston High School 2021. We had a meeting with Mr. List to discuss the program i-decide and although we were unable to pursue with our plan of adding supportive measures such as counseling, we look to work around this bump and participate in the club Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition to outlook this issue and find a solution as to helping students and athletes in our community overcome their struggles with substance usage. We were able to send out a few questions to Mr. Marsh a wellness teacher at Holliston High School, regarding his opinion on how the wellness department covers the curriculum for drug and alcohol.
Our Logo
High School Flyer
"We have 9 signed up right now which is AWESOME! Triple the last one- thanks so much for all your efforts."
- Zoe Moreau
We were able to put up two flyers in the school. One was a flyer promoting a focus group that was being held. The other poster we hung up "Be a Leader, Not a Follower" was used to advocate the fact just because everyone else does it does not mean you have to follow along and go through with it as well.
