Clairemont Health & Medical Sciences Academy

Overview: The problem: Substance abuse is a big deal in San Diego, and it impacts not only the individual using the substance, but their family and the community at large. Students will address this problem by partnering with SAY San Diego to research legal and illicit substances for the purpose of informing the community about abuse prevention. 

Project Initiation: Our Project launch was a day-long, interactive field trip to the San Diego DEA offices. Students heard from multiple Industry Professionals in a guest speaker series. The final project was an interactive website which students will present at their culminating event which is a Substance Abuse Awareness Community Town Hall hosted by our client, SAY San Diego, on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at Clairemont High School. We also hosted a “What I Wish My Parents Knew” Forum that evening.

Project Exploration and Development: Students researched: physical, social, emotional, economic and the cultural impacts of their substance in order to prevent or stem abuse. Our project launched with an interactive field trip to the San Diego DEA offices. In a guest speaker series, students heard from Industry Professionals such as: Licensed Therapists, DEA: scientists, agents, researchers, outreach and human resources, Prevention Specialists for Alcohol, Tobacco, and other drugs including synthetic drugs such as Fentanyl, Educators and Therapists from Teen Recovery Centers, SAY San Diego Youth Advocates and many more. In addition, students researched their chosen substance and its effects on the human body, the key connection to their CCTE course for 9th grade, Human Body Systems.

Project Revision and Exhibition: Students shared their interactive websites at our culminating event - a Substance Abuse Awareness Community Town Hall hosted by our client, SAY San Diego, on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at Clairemont High School. We also hosted a “What I Wish My Parents Knew” Forum this same evening. And lastly, students had a chance to reflect on their individual work and their team work in their interdisciplinary PBL project through a Google Form Evaluation and a Metacognitive Reflection. 

Teachers and Subjects: Dana Klein, Alfred Nowak, & Scott Bello

Industry Sector: DEA, SAY San Diego, Drug and Alcohol Prevention City of San Diego