OVERARCHING THEMES FOR THE PROGRAM SEASON
Event 1: The Power of Connection
Event 2: Resilience - Creating a social support system
Event 3: Through - Managing times when you feel lonely
Event 4: Creating Connection - Intentional ways to come together
Event 5: Understanding - Maintaining the new connections you've built
From this year on, fall/winter program topics will be categorized by participant grade; each of the below topics will be examined through the lens of the above themes.
RESOURCES BY GRADE & GRADE TOPIC
6th Grade Resources
Event 2 (Substance Use/Prevention):
The Connection Between Substance Use Disorders and Mental Illness
Substance Use vs. Substance Abuse (and Why the Latter Term is Being Replaced)
Why Mental Health Disorders Co-Exist with Substance Use (VeryWell Mind)
The Role of Genetics in Substance Use Disorder and Prevention
Event 3 (Happiness/Healthy Relationships/Community Building):
Is Looking on the Bright Side Actually Good for Your Mental Health?
How to Improve Your Relationships with Effective Communication Skills
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
Ask a Therapist: How Do I Deal with Negative People in My Life?
Event 4 (Loneliness and Connection):
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 5 (Reflection):
7th Grade Resources
Event 2 (Substance Basics/Healthy Relationships & Community):
What Is A Standard Drink? (from the National Institutes of Health)
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 3 (Promotion of Drug Use in Media/Targeted Advertising):
Young Activists Protest Tobacco's Pervasiveness in Youth-Targeted Media
Deceptive Ways the Tobacco Industry Attracts Young Customers
How JUUL Preyed Upon Youth, Deceived Regulators, and Launched the Vaping Epidemic
The Alcohol Industry's Leveraging of Media Outlets and Journalists
Event 4 (Loneliness and Connection):
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 5 (Reflection):
8th Grade Resources
Event 2 (Reflecting on Personal Opinions/Myth Busting/Perceptions of Harm):
Event 3 (Technology/Preparing for High School):
How "Doomscrolling" Impacts Your Mental Health - and How to Stop
Social Media Raises Mental Health Awareness, But Increases Risk of Flawed Self-Diagnosis
Reading on a Smartphone May Lead to Poorer Reading Comprehension
Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok Filters and the Feelings They Cause
Event 4 (Loneliness and Connection):
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 5 (Reflection - Letters to Future Self):
9th Grade Resources
Event 2 (Substance Use/Vaping/Substance Use and Mental Health):
E-Cigarette Companies Provide No Method for Environmentally Friendly Disposal
The Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems on Athletes
Teen Was In the Fight of Her Life After Vaping A Cartridge A Day
Substance Use vs Substance Abuse (and Why the Latter Term is Being Replaced)
Why Alcohol Use Disorder Is Considered a Chronic Brain Disease
Event 3 (Refusal Skills and Boundary Setting/Independence and Time Management):
Event 4 (Loneliness and Connection):
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 5 (Reflection - Working with Middle School):
10th Grade Resources
Event 2 (Substance Education/Driving Safety):
Why Do Women Face Higher Risks for Alcohol-Related Consequences?
The Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems on Athletes
Teen Was In the Fight of Her Life After Vaping A Cartridge A Day
Event 3 (Safety/Laws/Self Defense):
Event 4 (Loneliness and Connection):
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 5 (Reflection - Habit Building):
11th Grade Resources
Event 2 (Alcohol and Alcohol Use Disorder/Substances and Brain Development/Bystander Training):
Event 3 (Stress and Time Management/Public Speaking):
Event 4 (Loneliness and Connection):
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 5 (Reflection):
12th Grade Resources
Event 2 (Where Are You?/Alcohol Use and Preventing Misuse/Risks of Other Substances):
Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs (National Institutes of Health)
Everything You Need to Know About Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)
Event 3 (Design Your Life/Skill Building):
Event 4 (Loneliness and Connection):
Why Social Support May Be the Best Way to Help Reduce Stress
When You Don't See Opportunities for Connection...Make Some!
Event 5 (Reflection - Where Are You Going?):