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Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate - and a brand new year!  We hope your chapter is gearing up for lots of great SADD programming in the months ahead! 

This month we're happy to have the support of AOL, who featured SADD as part of their "Impact" nonprofit spotlight, thanks to generous sponsorship from Toyota.  Click here to see our Impact page and watch our 30th anniversary video!

Our goal is to ensure that every SADD chapter has the latest news, so we're counting on you to help spread the word about The SADDvocate.  Please encourage all of your SADD chapter members to sign up on sadd.org, or send a list (spreadsheets preferred, with columns for first name, last name, and email address) to Chris Egan, SADD's Director of Field Services, at cegan@sadd.org. 

Sometimes school computer filters prevent students and advisors from seeing The SADDvocate properly, in full color with graphics.  You can view every issue in our online archive.  This issue will be posted to the archive later today.

A good source of regular SADD news is our Facebook page.  Please "like" our page today, and encourage your friends to do so as well!  Links to all our social networking pages are on the bar at left.

Time is running out for your chapter to enter the annual Act Out Loud contest!  Your chapter has a chance to win $90,000 of great prizes, including the grand prize of $10,000 - which SADD chapters won in 2011 and 2009!

The contest has three separate challenges, which begin next month: create a t-shirt design about preventing the use of communication devices while driving; create a billboard or road sign promoting your state's passenger restriction laws for teen drivers; and get as many students as possible to install a special Act Out Loud yearbook Facebook application on their individual Facebook pages.

Just for participating, you'll get a free Act Out Loud toolkit, stuffed with fun giveaway items like posters, key chains, silly bands, thumb rings, and more!  What are you waiting for?  Registration ends January 31, so register today!  Be sure to enter "SADD" in the "National Organization Your Team Represents" field.  To learn more, visit actoutloud.org.

Our friends at the National Road Safety Foundation have teamed with Scholastic for their annual Drive2Life PSA contest.  Create a storyboard or script for a distracted driving Public Service Announcement (PSA), and you have a chance to win $1,000 and a trip to New York to watch your idea come to life as a professionally-filmed spot that will air nationwide!  Visit scholastic.com/drive2life to enter.  You'll also find sample storyboards to give you an idea of what they're looking for, and teachers can find free lesson plans about distracted driving to use in class.  The deadline to enter is February 29, so start working on your storyboard now!

The Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge offers a massive grand prize of $20,000!  Submit your video (up to two minutes) about how to make teens safer drivers, and you'll have a chance to be selected as a finalist, with internet voting to select the winner in May.  The deadline to enter is February 16, so click here to learn more and enter.  Teachers, there are also lesson plans and other resources on the Toyota Teen Driver website!

A reminder about the Friends of SADD Chapter Contest.  Your chapter only needs to recruit 10 adult Friends of SADD who each donate $30 in honor of SADD's 30th Anniversary, then fill out the simple entry form, return it to SADD National, and your chapter will receive a $50 SADD Store gift certificate and a chance at other prizes!  You'll also have the satisfaction of helping support SADD and spreading the word about our work and mission.  The deadline to enter is January 31, so start recruiting Friends today!

Each month, a member of the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC) will write a column designed to help chapters with activity ideas, meeting suggestions, and more.

Hello to all you wonderful SADD students and advisors!  My name is Bryan Epstein, and I'm a member of the SLC.  I'm currently a senior in high school in Freehold, New Jersey.

The holidays are over, and it's time to start fresh for a new year.  But while the gift-giving season is past, it's always time to give - give back to your community, that is!  January is a terrific time to get the year started, and there's a big time community service event coming next week!

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'"  It's no surprise that the day honoring his life has become a major day of community service - and it's not too late to find a project in which to participate!  The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is January 16.  Visit MLKDay.gov for action plans, to register your project, or find a project you can join.

If that's too soon, you can begin planning now for Global Youth Service Day in April.  Community service is an important part of SADD, and it can actually help you recruit new members!  Students unsure about the full SADD mission can be drawn into a community service project, have fun, make friends, and get to know the chapter better on a trial basis on their way to becoming full-time members.

I hope your chapter has community service as one area of focus - you really can make a difference!  I hope to see you all this summer at the SADD National Conference, The Prevention League: Discover Your Power.

The SADD Store is proud to announce the release of new cutting-edge SADD-branded Under Armour gear, like the quarter-zip performance fleece pullover pictured at right.  You'll also find Under Armour tees, polos, warm-up jackets - even an Under Armour backpack, all emblazoned with the SADD logo.

All items are in stock and ship within 48-72 hours, with standard transit times of no more than seven days - but your order can be rushed for an additional fee.

To order, visit saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or email sadd@apisource.com. 

Our friends at the Drug-Free Action Alliance are once again holding their Big Bowl Vote.  This simple survey is done the Monday morning after the Super Bowl to examine the impact of advertising on students, including alcohol advertising.  This is an easy way to get local media attention, and we encourage your chapter to join the effort!  Last year, 35,000 students in 42 states completed the survey.  To download the toolkit and learn more, visit drugfreeactionalliance.org/bigbowlvote.

The National Association of Peer Program Professionals will hold their annual conference in Orange Beach, Alabama, February 17-19.  This conference is for adults who work with peer education groups like SADD, so it's perfect for SADD Advisors and other adults looking to improve their skills.  For more information, click here.

Registration is OPEN NOW for the 2012 SADD National Conference, The Prevention League: Discover Your Power.  Make your plans to join us at the Torrance Marriott South Bay in sunny Southern California June 24-27, 2012! 

You won't want to miss all the great experiences the conference offers, including:

• 3+ days of invaluable networking opportunities with SADD students, advisors, and organizations and groups offering innovative resources and exhibits;
• Fantastic, interactive workshops and compelling general session speakers;
• An evening trip to Disneyland; and 
• The chance to experience southern California.

Look for workshop proposal forms and other information coming soon.  Remember, space is limited, so register now! 

 

In the Spotlight this month is Old Bridge High School SADD from Matawan, New Jersey. 

 

Old Bridge SADD teamed with their local Barnes & Noble on a unique fundraiser/community service project.  SADD students spent the day at the East Brunswick Barnes & Noble running activities for children during the busy holiday shopping season.

 

Children were entertained with stories, coloring books, craft projects, and even a visit from Santa, played by former Old Bridge SADD member and current college student Gregory Jackson (pictured above with SADD students).

 

While the children were entertained, other SADD students took the time to talk to parents and build awareness of SADD.  Many of the parents were impressed with the commitment of the students and their ability to serve as role models.

 

In return for their efforts, Barnes & Noble donated a percentage of the day's sales to the SADD chapter.  This event truly was a grand slam - community service, the chance to spread awareness of SADD, and a fundraiser - all in one!  Congratulations to Old Bridge SADD for their efforts! 

 

If you'd like to see your chapter featured in the Spotlight, send news and a good group photo to Chris Egan at  cegan@sadd.org.

If your school is interested in programs addressing underage drinking, risky driving, bullying, parent-teen communication, or mentoring, consider the SADD Speaker Series.  This popular series features nationally-recognized youth advocate Stephen Wallace, who serves as SADD's Senior Advisor for Policy, Research, and Education.

Comprised of seven different one-hour motivational presentations, Stephen addresses critical issues facing students, teachers, and parents, and always allows plenty of time for questions and answers.  Stephen has taken the Speaker Series to middle and high schools, colleges, religious institutions, health care organizations, and corporations all across the country.

We're now booking dates for the spring and fall of 2012.  For more information, visit saddspeaker.org or email saddspeaker@sadd.org.  Book today and receive a free copy of Stephen's book, Reality Gap!

Remember that the SADD National Field Services department is here to provide help and support to chapters, especially those in states without state coordinators.  Just call 1-877-SADD-INC, ext. 223, or email fieldservices@sadd.org for help!

Thanks for reading this issue of The SADDvocate, and thanks for all the work you do in your SADD chapters!