It's National Youth Traffic Safety Month (NYTSM)!  There are all sorts of traffic safety activities going on all across the country this month - and we hope your chapter is doing something, too!

First, remember the Act Out Loud competition?  Seven of the 20 finalists are SADD chapters.  As finalists, these chapters received $1,000 to implement their traffic safety project, along with a Flip video camera to record their efforts.  Teams are documenting their preparation and projects on blogs, complete with text and video entries.  To see the teams' blogs, visit actoutloud.org. 

From May 11-22, you can vote for your favorite project on the actoutloud.org website.  Internet voting will determine the winner, who will receive $10,000.  You can vote once per day during that period - so please take 30 seconds out of your day and vote for a SADD chapter!  Running tallies of who's in the lead will be posted daily.  Good luck to all these great SADD chapters!






In addition to the Act Out Loud competition, there's the annual "50 Best" awards.  All you need to do is register your NYTSM project on the noys.org website by filling out a simple form, and then you're eligible to win one of 50 $1,000 awards recognizing the 50 best NYTSM projects.  Two years ago, 15 of the 50 awards went to SADD chapters, and last year SADD captured 18 of the 50 awards.  We're hoping for even more this year!  If you're already doing an activity, why not take the three minutes to fill out the form and get a chance at $1,000?

What if your chapter would like to do something for NYTSM but needs a project idea?  There are plenty of ideas on the noys.org website.  You can get a FREE tool kit from NOYS, too.  The kit includes an 18-month wall calendar with important traffic safety information, a poster with lesson plans and activity ideas, and a CD-ROM packed with useful NYTSM info and materials.  Just send your name, SADD chapter name, and mailing address to info@noys.org for your free tool kit.

Thanks for working to keep the roads safe this month!

This year's Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) was April 24-26.  Did your SADD chapter conduct a service project for GYSD?  If so, we encourage you to post your event so your effort is tallied with all the other projects around the world.  To post your event, click here.

One of the milestones of teen life is getting a driver's license.  In addition to learning the rules of the road and spending time behind the wheel, it's important for drivers to have a basic knowledge of their vehicles, which can help you not only save money, but also stay safer on the road.

For more than 30 years, Firestone Complete Auto Care has been educating drivers about basic vehicle maintenance and safety through free, hands-on Car Care Academy workshops and Tire Check events.  Now they're reaching out to SADD chapters to bring these free and useful programs to your high school.  For more information about how to host a Car Care Academy at your school, visit CarCareAcademy.com or email pr@bfrc.com.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is again emphasizing the dangers of prescription drug abuse with new materials, including print ads and television public service announcements.  Check out the full range of resources available on their theantidrug.com website by clicking here.

Here's a reminder that the SADD logo is now freely available on the SADD website for registered chapters to download and use on posters, websites, yearbooks, t-shirts, and other items.  You no longer need to obtain advance permission to use the logo!  Click here to download the SADD logo, and make sure to check out SADD's Graphic Standards Manual, which explains the rules for using the logo properly.  Please use the SADD logo!

Because suicide had impacted the lives of a number of students in the chapter, Cocalico SADD rebranded a depression and suicide awareness offshoot of the SADD chapter formerly known as "A Helping Hand."  The students believed the group's work was important, but it needed a new identity.  After batting around many suggestions, they settled through a vote on "aevidum," a made-up word that stems from the Latin root meaning "life."

Pronounced ah-VEE-dum, the word is not only the name of the group, but it also serves as a quick message of support, substituting for "I'm with you" or "I've got your back."  SADD/aevidum Advisor Joe Vulopas says the students wanted to come up with a word that anyone could say to another person.  As one SADD student explained, "We needed something a boy could say to another boy in the cafeteria and not feel embarrassed."  The goal is to put "aevidum" into common usage and someday have it listed in the dictionary!

In addition to encouraging Cocalico students to support one another, Cocalico SADD also took the message on the road, holding school assemblies at area high schools.  By alerting students to the warning signs of depression and suicide, the chapter provided information and support to those who might need help for themselves or their friends.

aevidum has been recognized with an assortment of awards by mental health groups, and the students are energized to spread the word even further in the year to come.  Congratulations to Cocalico High School SADD for their compassion and creativity in spreading an important message!  SADD chapters interested in incorporating aevidum into their efforts are welcome to contact Joe Vulopas by clicking here.

If you'd like to see YOUR chapter featured in the Spotlight, be sure to let us know what you're doing!  Send news and pictures to Chris Egan, SADD National Director of Field Services, at cegan@sadd.org or the mailing address at the bottom of this newsletter.

Material from the Lancaster New Era was used in this report.

Start planning for the fall by booking your SADD Speaker Series presentation today!  Choose from six presentations offered in the Speaker Series, in which SADD Chairman and CEO Stephen Wallace shares SADD's groundbreaking original research about the real world of today's teenagers to empower students, improve family communication, and explore the role adults have in keeping teens safe.

Stephen, author of the book Reality Gap: Alcohol, Drugs, and Sex--What Parents Don't Know and Teens Aren't Telling, draws on his multiple roles as school psychologist, researcher, camp director, and college professor as he speaks to students, parents, educators, and other adults who influence young people.

As this school year comes to a close, think about what you have planned for the fall to help promote positive decision-making and healthy lifestyles among youth.  We hope you will consider including the Speaker Series as part of that plan.

For more information about the SADD Speaker Series, visit saddspeaker.org or contact Stacey Hart at 1-877-SADD-INC (723-3462) or shart@sadd.org. 

Join fellow youth leaders and advisors at the 2009 SADD National Conference, Climbing the Hill, in Washington, D.C., this summer!

You won't want to miss:

• Nationally recognized keynote speakers such as Leon Quan, Ty Sells, and John Morello
• More than 40 innovative and interactive workshops
• An evening tour of Washington, D.C., landmarks and dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe
• The SADD banquet - an opportunity to celebrate the great work that goes on throughout the country during the year
  
• An energizing youth rally on Capitol Hill, followed by congressional visits
  
• And much, much more!

The registration deadline has been extended to May 29, 2009, but don't delay - register today to reserve your spot!  Visit sadd.org for all the details.

 
Many of these items will not be restocked, so get them while you still can!  For more information or to order, visit saddstore.org, call 1-800-394-0090, or e-mail saddstore@workflowone.com.