CONFIDENT, CONNECTED, RESILIENT AND RESPECTED

After 15 years as a school counsellor, Wendy Colman knows what
incredible rewards there are to watching a youth get clean and stay
clean. Those rewarding experiences are what she wants to share with
every teacher in the Fraser Cascade School District through her
comprehensive curriculum for drug and alcohol education.

As co-ordinator, Colman has transformed a 'Healthy Promotion' grant
for $20,000 and a Crystal Meth grant for $10,000, both from the Union
of British Columbia Municipalities, into a cradle-to-adulthood
educational kit for each school within the Fraser Cascade School District.

"Rather than recreate the wheel," says Colman, we joined forces with
the Hope Crystal Meth Task force, reviewed programs of other school
districts, and met monthly as a school district working group, to
look at what programs we have available now," in respect to drug and
alcohol education and "how we will fill in the gaps."

The group, made up of educators, First Nations representatives,
school trustees, Hope and Agassiz-Harrison Community Services,
parents, and counsellors looked at how the education system can do a
better job of getting kids to where they are less likely to be
influenced into using drugs or alcohol, by tying together community
resources in a tidy educational package.

The group developed compete educational kits, as this new "framework
of resources," including videos, access to on-line programs, lesson
plans, which meet the Ministry of Education standards, and
professional development opportunities for teachers.

The kits are user friendly, bringing together all of the resources
available to teachers and identifying which programs should be
covered at which age group.

The new educational kits for schools even include prenatal care,
identifying programs and contact information for programs within the
community, aimed at starting life on the right foot. From grade one
to grade 12 age-appropriate programs, like 'I Can Be Responsible'
from United Streaming, to school-based violent prevention programs
offered by the Hope and Area Transition Society, and even ICBC's Road
Sense, are all clearly identified for teachers, complete with
learning resources and contact numbers included right in the kits.

The new curriculum fits into the district's three stage drug and
alcohol strategy: educating youth on the damaging effects of drugs,
intervention where behavior has brought a student "up on the radar"
of counsellors, and if needed, treatment, where a school-based care
team works with the student, family, and health care professionals to
make sure a youth gets the help they need.

The first stage of education is hopefully the only stage most
students will ever need.

But whether you are rich or poor, come from a solid family or a
family that is struggling, all youths can fall into the trap of
addiction. And the keys to prevention and the basis to the new
curriculum, says Colman, is helping youth in a respectful way to
build connectiveness to family or a mentor, develop resilience to
life's stresses, and grow in self esteem. Once away from the
classroom and facing a world of 'club drugs,' youths will then have
the skills needed to make the right lifestyle choices for themselves.