RED RIBBON RESOURCES NEWSLETTER
August 2003
Welcome to
Red Ribbon Resources Newsletter. Each issue will offer you news, activities, links to online resources, information on innovative, low-cost giveaways for your events,, and funding information to help your Red Ribbon Week celebrations become even more successful. If you have ideas or suggestions for the newsletter, please email them to us at jenb@guidancechannel.com. We appreciate your subscription and hope that the information we provide is useful to you. Enjoy!
Red Ribbon Resources
A
Guidance Channel Company
RED RIBBON NEWS
UNIQUE TWIST ON RED RIBBON WEEK CREATES "NON-USE NORM" IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Preparations are underway for the
2003 Red Ribbons To Washington Campaign. Schools and community groups across the country are gearing up to participate in this unique campaign that encourages students to sign pledges to remain drug-free, while also gathering pledges from people throughout their community. As students collect pledges from relatives, neighbors, local businesses and civil servants, they expand the event beyond school walls and establish a "non-use" norm.
As an added incentive, The Bureau For At-Risk Youth, founders of the Red Ribbons To Washington Campaign, incorporated a contest into the campaign to see which schools and organizations could collect the most signatures. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people in communities across the nation participated by signing pledges to be drug-free. After an overwhelming response, The Bureau For At-Risk Youth is delighted to announce the following winners:
- Pepperell Middle School in Lindale, Georgia was selected in a random drawing for an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. for two students and one adult during this year's Red Ribbon Week Celebrations to present their school's signed ribbons. They also received a $1000 coupon towards drug education materials from The Bureau For At-Risk Youth or Red Ribbon Resources (two Guidance Channel companies).
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The second place winner, Chamber Coalition from Lufkin, Texas, received a $2500 coupon towards prevention materials for collecting the most signed pledges (16,307).
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Wilkins Elementary from Jackson, Mississippi, the third place winner, received a $1500 coupon for collecting the second-most pledges (14,307).
Those interested in learning more about this campaign should
request a copy of the free Red Ribbon Resources catalog. In addition to information on the campaign and the history of Red Ribbon Week, this free resource guide is filled with innovative, low-cost items that schools and communities can use as giveaways to captivate interest and add excitement to their Red Ribbon Week programs, activities, and special events.
As an added incentive, The Bureau For At-Risk Youth is also offering these FREE gifts
- 50 2 in. by 6 in. bookmark rulers for orders of $100 or more
- 50 bookmark rulers and a roll of 5 giant 2 ft. by 3 ft. “We Pledge To Be…Drug-Free!” poly banners for orders of $150 or more
- 50 bookmark rulers, the roll of 5 poly banners, and a Red Ribbon Week video featuring Michael Pritchard for orders of $400 or more.
To request your free Red Ribbon Resources catalog or to get more information about the 2003 Red Ribbons To Washington Campaign, write to The Bureau For At-Risk Youth, 135 Dupont Street, PO Box 760, Plainview, NY 11803-0760, call 1-800-99-YOUTH or visit the Red Ribbon Resources website at
www.redribbonresources.com.
PLANTING THE PROMISE TO BE DRUG-FREE
"Unite for a Drug Free World - Plant the Promise!" is this year's national Red Ribbon theme, sponsored by the National Family Partnership (NFP). What better way to support a drug-free America than by planting bulbs that will bloom into vibrant symbols of a drug-free lifestyle? Thousands of schools, military groups, churches and businesses participated in NFP’s Plant the Promise in 2002 -- ordering and planting almost half a million bulbs. The bulbs appropriately bloom during National Alcohol Awareness Month in April.
Schools, churches, families and even police departments across the country are joining the national effort for a drug-free America by teaming up with National Family Partnership to "Plant the Promise" on October 23 during the annual Red Ribbon Week celebration.
"We need everyone's help to spread the 'Freedom is Drug Free' message loud and clear across America!" says Peggy Sapp, president of NFP. "Taking part in this unique and meaningful program helps raise awareness and funds for drug prevention and education."
Five bulb packages have been created to help parents, schools, businesses, churches, and other community organizations get involved in this year's Red Ribbon Week festivities. A portion of all sales from bulb packages will go towards The National Family Partnership's drug prevention programs.
To make participation both simple and easy, NFP has teamed up with TulipWorld.com, an award-winning Dutch bulb site to offer on-line bulb packages designed to suit every climate and budget. This year's bulbs include beautiful red tulips, a deer proof classic yellow daffodil (pre-chilled bulbs for forcing indoors), and a beautiful red amaryllis. Packages can be viewed by
clicking here!
The "Plant the Promise" program reinforces the "Say No to Drugs" message and helps foster a sense of community involvement that will leave visible and beautiful proof next spring. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these bulbs funds NFP's drug prevention programs. For additional information regarding Red Ribbon Week 2002, log on to
www.nfp.org or
www.tulipworld.com.
ADDITIONAL PREVENTION NEWS
ACTION ALERT! : URGE CONGRESS TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND EDUCATION
Congress will make final funding decisions at the beginning of September. This leaves just one more week to advocate for funding increases. You can voice your support for prevention by calling, faxing, emailing, of visiting your Senator, Representative or their staff.
Click here for a sample letter, advice on what to say, and contact information for your members of Congress!
NATIONAL REGISTRY OF EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS INCREASES SCOPE, ADDS AND UPDATES PROGRAM CATEGORIES AND CRITERIA
Originally designed to identify and evaluate evidence-based programs effective at curbing high-risk behaviors among our nation’s youth, the NREP has now developed criteria to evaluate four program categories: co-occurring disorders, psycho-pharmacological, workplace, and general substance abuse prevention and treatment. To learn more about this registry,
click here.
NEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HELP FAITH COMMUNITIES TACKLE DRUG PREVENTION
The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, in partnership with faith communities and the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, released multi-denominational resources to encourage all religious communities to focus on youth drug prevention.
Most faith institutions have youth ministries; however, few incorporate significant teen substance abuse prevention activities. Drug and alcohol programs instead focus on adult substance abuse treatment. According to the 1998 National Congregations Study, funded by Lilly Endowment and a variety of other organizations, only 2 percent of congregations surveyed had participated in or supported substance abuse programs within the past 12 months.
Research shows that faith plays a critical role in preventing substance abuse and other risky behaviors. A study published in March 2003 by the American Psychological Association found that adolescents who viewed religion as a meaningful part of their life and as a way to cope with problems were half as likely to use marijuana than adolescents who didn't view religion as important.
The new multi-denominational resources include the
Pathways to Prevention: Guiding Youth to Wise Decisions 100-page drug prevention activity guide for youth faith leaders, the
www.TheAntiDrug.com/Faith website, and an e-mail newsletter. These resources, in conjunction with the existing
Four Ways to Include Drug Prevention in Your Religious Programs brochure, will help churches, mosques and synagogues incorporate youth drug prevention into their programming.
Pathways to Prevention was developed by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign in partnership with faith leaders nationwide. The activity guide was tested at Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith institutions in Washington, D.C., Tennessee, and Minnesota. It provides guidance on a range of issues from how to incorporate drug prevention into sermons, to how to integrate ready to use teen drug prevention activities into youth ministries and religious education classes.
Free copies of the activity guide and brochure can be ordered through
www.TheAntiDrug.com/Faith or by calling the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug Information at 1-800-788-2800. The reference inventory numbers are PHD903 (activity guide) and PHD904 (brochure).
PREVENTION ACTIVITIES
The following activities have been excerpted from
101 Ready-To-Use Drug Prevention Activities developed by Red Ribbon Resources. To find out how you can purchase this useful prevention tool,
click here!
DOOR-DECORATING CONTEST
Hold a door-decorating contest to celebrate Red Ribbon Week in your school or facility. Have students in each room plan the door – either just the outside or both the inside and outside. Suggest that students create and post slogans promoting a drug-free lifestyle. Another possibility is to create a door that lists the names of all class members and boasts that each of them is drug-free.
Provide materials from which students can create their door designs. Some may want to start by covering the door entirely in red art paper or wrapping paper before they begin decorating. Have them use shapes, letters, and figures cut from construction paper, as well as pictures cut from magazines and newspapers.
During Red Ribbon Week, hold a contest in which a panel of judges awards a variety of prizes for winning doors. Another alternative is to have all students vote for their favorite door. Conduct tours of the school or facility to view the doors.
RED RIBBON FIELD DAY
Have students plan and implement a field day devoted to Red Ribbon Week activities. As much as possible, allow students to coordinate all of the activities. Begin by having them brainstorm a list of activities. Some should be athletic, but others should be designed to get everyone involved and build spirit. They may choose some traditional activities such as sack races, but encourage them to add a Red Ribbon to spin them. In this case, sacks could be dyed red with anti-drug slogans written in "puffy paint."
One example of a spirit-building activity would be to have all students wear red to school that day. Arrange groups of students to form letters and create words -- similar to the way it is done at half-time during a football game. For example, students might spell out "DRUG-FREE ZONE." If possible, have someone available to take pictures from the roof of the building or the top of the bleachers. Display the photo in the school or facility.
Organize teams for the field day and devise methods for scoring and record keeping. At the end of the field day, hold an award ceremony to honor the winners.
RED RIBBON PARADE
Have students plan a Red Ribbon Week parade for your class, school, or group. Encourage students to include floats, marchers, musicians, and other features to make the parade as festive as possible. Depending on how much time you want to spend on this project, choose from the following suggestions for constructing floats:
- Students can make floats using bicycles, wagons, and scooters. Each float should carry a "no-use" message. Have them use cartons covered with construction paper for the basic shapes they will make. They can decorate these further using paint and markers. Some students may want to use streamers, or possibly even battery-operated lights to make their float stand out.
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For a less ambitious version of the parade, have students construct their floats from shoe boxes attached to skateboards or skates. They can use construction paper, markers, and paint to create their antidrug messages. Have them attach string to the float so that it can be pulled along in the parade.
Hold the parade in your school or facility. Appoint a panel of judges to award a variety of prizes for floats, including most creative, most effective, most colorful, etc. Invite spectators to line the parade route. Encourage spectators to take photographs of the floats.
RED RIBBON WEEK AND DRUG PREVENTION RESOURCES
"I PLEDGE TO BE DRUG-FREE!" STUDENT KIT
Here's a way for students to keep all their daily necessities neat and handy while being reminded of their pledge with every use. Each kit contains a pencil, a 6-inch ruler, a bookmark/pledge card, and a ribbon bracelet, all imprinted with our "I Pledge To Be Drug-Free" slogan and an "Erase Drugs!" eraser. They are all packaged into a sturdy vinyl zippered 9” X 6” pouch designed to fit any 3-ring binder.
ALCOHOL PREVENTION BINGO
This game is a wonderful tool to engage teens and promote prevention. As you call the cards, you'll be teaching why kids drink, alcohol myths and facts, the effects of drinking, the dangers of drinking and driving, and how to say no. Each card contains a fact or idea to start your group thinking about why they shouldn't use alcohol.
You may also be interested in our other BINGO games, which include:
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID DHILLON OF THE FIRST CAMARENA CLUB
(Please note: This interview originally appeared in The Guidance Channel Zine).
By
Jennifer Brady for The Guidance Channel
GC: What inspired the Camarena Club and when did it begin?
Mr. Dhillon: I was a first year teacher at Calexico High School and was working with the school's Just Say No program. Just a few months into the program, Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a DEA agent from Calexico, was kidnapped and killed by Mexican drug lords. Congressman Duncan Hunter came down to the campus and asked me if I would change the name of our club to the Camarena Club.
There was absolutely no debate about dedicating that movement to him. Kiki was born and raised in Calexico. My uncles who were involved in law enforcement knew him personally -- everyone knew him. He was someone who basically gave up his life to try to prevent drug addiction -- the most deteriorating disease in our society, especially amongst kids. He represented something that I had to stand behind then and still stand behind today.
GC: What was the mission of the Camarena Club?
Mr. Dhillon: The club brought a coalition of youth together on campus to promote drug-free activities. It was geared around a positive message -- not a scare tactic approach. It was designed to promote anti-drug behavior and to let young people know that they didn't need to engage in drug use.
GC: How did the Camarena Club evolve into the National Red Ribbon Week campaign?
Mr. Dhillon: Following Nancy Reagan's lead on wearing red to tell everyone that you are drug-free, we initiated a red ribbon parade. It evolved in our community to the point where they are still doing it every year. We were told that what we did inspired many other communities.
GC: What steps do you attribute to the success of the Camarena Club?
Mr. Dhillon: I believe that the fact that it honors a hometown native makes it work.
GC: Because it's personal to the people in your community?
Mr. Dhillon: I think so. In our community, if you didn't know Kiki Camarena -- you knew someone who did. People are still compelled by the loss of Kiki, even though he was killed fifteen years ago. I think that's kept the movement going strong and it will probably remain strong for many decades to come. And now it is being passed on through the generations, as the graduates of the club now have their own children and will hopefully keep them off of drugs.
GC: What advice can you offer other prevention clubs around the country?
Mr. Dhillon: Keep the message simple and be inclusive of people that have used drugs in the past. Drug usage is a weakness of mind and a weakness of heart. We have to understand that. Don't condemn the users. It isn't always their fault -- be patient. I have seen the power of people who have struggled through this horrible nightmare for years who later became drug prevention spokespersons.
GC: How can we take a tragic loss, such as the murder of Kiki Camarena, and transform it into something positive?
Mr. Dhillon: The murder of Kiki Camarena was indeed transformed into something positive. I think that the beauty of our society is that anytime there is something catastrophic it is possible for something to follow that is absolutely fabulous. While it is extremely unfortunate that this man was brutally killed and his family was put through tremendous anguish, it has become a vehicle to educate our youth that drugs are a brutal game.
There are a lot of pressures on young people today. We have to try to put our arms around them and make them realize that people do care -- there is a brighter day ahead. They can withstand the pressures to use drugs. If Kiki Camarena can die for this country and his family can go through such anguish for this nation, we can at least do our best to say no to these dangerous chemicals that shorten our lives.
GC: How does Red Ribbon Week help to keep young people off drugs?
Mr. Dhillon: I like to compare Red Ribbon to going to church. I always feel better coming out than going in. Red Ribbon parades give people the opportunity to coalesce in a march they can feel good about. You realize that there is a strong -- not a passive -- movement to say no to drugs. There is power in numbers. It provides us with a way to reinforce the positive and to educate people that a drug-free lifestyle is a priority of this nation.
That was my approach in forming the first red ribbon parade. I wasn't looking for people to race up to us and say, "I use cocaine, but now I am not going to." I knew that wasn't realistic. But to let them know that we are not afraid to say we are drug-free, that it's cool to be drug-free. I have never used a drug in my life and I always tell the kids that I have never given myself an opportunity to inhale. It is important to be a role model and to let young people know that life is fine without drugs. They are on the winning team by staying drug-free. That was always the concept behind the red ribbon -- and it caught on!
GC: What do you envision for the future of the Red Ribbon Week campaign?
Mr. Dhillon: I would hope that it grows everywhere. Our national, state and local leaders have to continue to put money into prevention. As a local politician, I believe that a dollar spent on prevention today saves six, seven, or eight spent tomorrow. I hope that local governments working with school districts and nonprofits emphasize promoting drug-free behavior and self-empowerment. Drugs affect all aspects of life, from employment to education. They also impact all segments of our society. I hope that Red Ribbon Week can unite politicians, faith communities, nonprofits, schools and communities to collaborate on addressing this critical issue.
ABOUT DAVID DHILLON
David Dhillon a lifelong resident of El Centro, California has spent his entire professional career as a public official. He was elected to the El Centro City Council in 1985 and has served as Mayor for three years.
For 16 years, Mr. Dhillon has taught at Calexico and Central Union High Schools. Calexico High School is where he founded the Kiki Camarena Club. Dhillon has also represented the Diocese of San Diego as the Imperial Valley Director of Catholic Charities. He ran nine separate non-profit programs ranging from youth and homelessness, emergency food programs, Senior Citizen programs and counseling. Dhillon was responsible for obtaining over $350,000 in grants awarded to Catholic Charities and over 200 tons of food products donated.
Dhillon is currently the founder of the project for Immigrant Lives, an agency of the Southern California Association of Governments, promoting awareness to immigrants dying in the Imperial Valley deserts in the quest to find employment in America.
INTERNET TOOLS
The Guidance Channel Zine, our award-winning online magazine, offers useful information to help you to make your prevention efforts even more effective. Below is a list of some of our
In Focus: Substance Abuse and Prevention articles written by
Isabel Burk, M.S., CPP, CHES available through our archives...
Making Prevention Connections
Jumpstart the new school year by integrating prevention efforts into all areas of education so that children receive multiple messages from multiple sources over time.
Maximizing Your Investment in Prevention
Identify crucial questions you need to consider when selecting a drug-prevention program for your school.
Involving Youth In Prevention Efforts
Make your prevention programs more effective by engaging young people in the planning and implementation of your prevention initiatives.
Highlighting The Benefits Of Prevention
Gather data and information to demonstrate the impact of your prevention programs.
FINDING FUNDING
Below is information excerpted from
Grant Development, an overview for grant-seekers, which includes helpful tips for nonprofits when developing a proposal for support from a foundation or a company.
GRANT APPLICATIONS: GETTING STARTED
A successful grant, in terms of project funding and implementation, is one that has the right project idea matched to the priority of the right funder and is submitted in a well-written proposal. Here's some general advice about putting all the pieces together.
The first step is to find out all you can about potential funders. Contact a funder to get basic information about its grant programs, including grant priorities, rules and procedures, requests for proposals, application packets, lists of previous grantees - including abstracts of their funding projects - and a sample of a successful grant proposal. Read carefully all the materials and guidelines the funder provides. Make sure you understand the funder's goals. To be successful, your grant application must link your need to the funder's interests.
Approaching a foundation or corporation is somewhat different from submitting a federal grant application. There are several types of foundations, such as independent or family-owned, company, community and operating. Know the differences prior to contacting them for a grant request. Conduct prospect research, collecting and selecting information on potential sources of funding from libraries, reference books, computer databases, news clippings and by word of mouth. Review grant publications and periodicals regularly. Request annual reports and funding guidelines and focus on funding interests, requirements, restrictions, deadlines and procedures.
Getting Personal
Next, you should begin to cultivate a personal relationship with the funder. Program officers at the funder agencies are highly knowledgeable and are an enormous source of free help. These individuals are critical to your success in getting funded, especially in the case of federal grants. After reading the literature and learning all you can about the funder's programs, call or visit the program officer to discuss your proposed project idea and how it fits into the goals of the grant program. Some foundations prefer an introductory letter to a phone call, but many will offer guidance on their programs over the phone.
Follow program officers' advice and instructions closely. If the program officer likes your idea, he or she may ask you to submit a project abstract for further review. Write a two- or three-page paper, with the following items included:
- Name and address of your organization
- Name and phone number of the project director
- Brief introduction of your organization
- Description of local needs and national significance of the proposed project
- Description of project goal and objectives
- Explanation of how the project's goal matches the grant program's purpose
- A list of project staff and participants
- Intended project outcomes and continuation
- Summary of the budget request
After receiving a favorable response from the program officer about your initial idea, you are ready to draft your proposal. If possible, visit the program officer to review your draft proposal in detail. Some program officers require you to submit a preliminary proposal for review; others are prohibited from doing so. Either way, rely on the program officer's guidance in preparing your proposal.
If it is not possible to travel frequently to search for new funding sources and meet with funding officials, you still can submit successful proposals just by using the telephone, computer and mail. Your phone bills will go up, but the return on investment can be incredibly high. If you can travel, plan your trips carefully. Talk to the program officers over the phone first, know the grant programs thoroughly and come prepared with written abstracts and preliminary proposals to review in detail. You also can take administrators and staff members with you to discuss their ideas with program officers and help them develop grants expertise.
The information for this resource was provided exclusively to The Bureau for At-Risk Youth by Aspen Publishers, Inc. Aspen is a leading publisher of newsletters, databases, and how-to books for nonprofit organizations and other grantseekers. For more information about their products and services, please call their toll-free number: (800) 655-5597.
To read the rest of this report and to check out our Funding Directory,
click here!
You'll also want to check out the September "Spotlight on Funding" in
The Guidance Channel Zine which will include an interview with The Foundation Center, reviews of websites on funding, statistics, and more! To subscribe to this free publication,
click here!
LOOKING FOR HANDS-ON PREVENTION TOOLS?
Visit the
Guidance Channel Shopping Mall! There you will find thousands of resources, many of them national and international award-winners, including reproducible handouts, games, multimedia programs, videos, curricula, awareness items and much more!
FOR ADDITIONAL NEWSLETTERS...
If you've found
Red Ribbon Resources Newsletter useful and informative, you may also be interested in subscribing to some of our other newsletters.
The Guidance Channel Zine is a monthly online magazine that includes interviews, website reviews, statistics and articles by many national organizations such as the National Association of School Psychologists, the American School Counselor Association and National S.A.V.E. (Students Against Violence Everywhere). Our
ProvenEffective.com Newsletter brings you late-breaking developments in education standards, funding, research, legal matters and other issues related to proven-effective programs and their administration and evaluation. If you’re also involved in violence prevention, you’ll want to receive our
National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign Newsletter. This free newsletter will provide you with information and resources to help you plan for NYVP Week (scheduled for March 29-April 2, 2004), highlights from press coverage of the campaign, reports on events around the week, suggestions for networking with other violence prevention advocates across the country, as well as articles and interviews on youth violence prevention strategies.
To subscribe to these newsletters,
click here!
RED RIBBON RESOURCES NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
All of the past articles of our
Red Ribbon Resources Newsletter are currently available on The Guidance Channel website! To access the archives,
click here!
If you would like to share this newsletter with a colleague,
you are welcome to forward this issue!