Reality Gap, the new book by SADD Chairman and CEO Stephen Wallace, paints an alarming portrait of a modern-day adolescence filled with potentially deadly behaviors carefully hidden by teens from the view of parents and other adults.  But it is also a book about hope and inspiration, pointing to the incredibly powerful role that parents and other mentors can play in the lives of young people and highlighting the tremendous contributions that many teens are making to their families, schools, and communities.

 

Combining stories from today's teens with original, groundbreaking research conducted by SADD, Reality Gap offers an intriguing analysis of the adolescent decision-making process and shares important conclusions.

Most critically, the book shares common-sense solutions and practical steps for parents and other important adults, such as teachers, coaches, counselors, and health care providers, to use in their relationships with teens.

You'll also find advice for how and when to talk about drinking, impaired driving, sex, drug use, suicide, and bullying - including Stephen's five essential elements of successful communication.

Reality Gap is available now at the SADD Store for $16.50.  A portion of the proceeds benefit SADD.

Thanks to everyone who attended, organized, and participated in our fantastic national conference this past June in Phoenix, Arizona!  More than 400 youth leaders and adults (pictured above at an off-site event) joined together to explore ways in which they could positively impact their schools and communities, as well as encourage their peers to make positive decisions.  The conference theme, Passion, Power, Identity: Soaring to New Heights, was captured throughout the week, and everyone left with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and energy for the upcoming school year!

Among the conference highlights:

• More than 40 workshops focused on a variety of important issues, full of resources and ideas
  
• Inspiring and motivating keynote speakers
• Celebration of the 2007-2008 Student Leadership Council (SLC) and induction of the 2008-2009 SLC
• Opportunities to network and connect with fellow SADD students and advisors

Plans are already underway for the 2009 SADD National Conference, which will be held in Washington, D.C.  Set aside the dates now - we're tentatively planning for Sunday, July 12 to Wednesday, July 15, 2009, preceded by a special two-day SADD SPEAKs advocacy training for a small number of students selected from an application pool.  More information and details will be coming soon! 

SADD's National Insurance Sponsor, Liberty Mutual, has unveiled a new website about teen driving.  Students at SADD's national conference in Phoenix got to check out some of the tools on the website, including a driving quiz that will help prepare you for your license test.  There are also useful tools for parents.  Visit libertymutualteendriving.com to see for yourself! 

SADD partners with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on the Stop Bullying Now! campaign.  This important campaign is targeted at students ages 9-13, helping them make positive decisions and increase their awareness of the seriousness of the problem.

HRSA is offering a Stop Bullying Now! DVD Toolkit to the first 100 high school SADD chapters that commit to using it to lead the campaign for middle school students (middle school SADD chapters can also receive it themselves).  The DVD contains cartoon webisodes, public service announcements, and video workshops that generate discussion about bullying.  Many high school SADD chapters are already working with middle school students - helping to mentor them or even starting middle school SADD chapters - so don't miss this opportunity.  Hurry - if your chapter is interested in receiving this free kit, contact Katie Reardon at katie.reardon@widmeyer.com.

If you miss out, don't worry - you can download the entire content of the toolkit, including the webisodes, from the Web.  Just visit stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov. 


The Office for National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has released some new posters and postcards in their "Above the Influence" campaign.  These materials are available for free by contacting the National Clearinghouse for Drug and Alcohol Information (NCADI) at 1-800-788-2800 or visiting ncadi.samsha.gov.  Note that they don't yet appear in the list of materials.  On the NCADI website, click "Quick Find & Order" and search for "Above the Influence" in "Title" to find the materials.  NCADI also has plenty of other free materials you can order - check it out today! 

We told you in June about the new NOYS/NHTSA Rural Youth Traffic Safety Message Competition, which involved creating a youth traffic safety project message campaign and getting the word out through television, radio, and print media.  Applications were due by the end of June, and ten finalists were selected in July. 

They each received $500 to put their proposed activity into action in September and October.  The winners will be announced on November 25, with the top three teams winning cash prizes and a trip for the advisor and one student to accept the award in person at the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., in December.

We're proud to announce that of the ten finalists, three are SADD chapters!  Congrats to Anoka SADD in Minnesota, Clifton Central SADD in Illinois, and Shelton High/Oaklan Bay Jr. High SADD in Washington state for their selection.  We wish all these chapters good luck as they compete to be one of the three prize-winners.