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Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate!  It's Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month - see our Chapter Toolbox article for more on what you can do.  This month we're also working hard to win a generous donation from Cars.com.  See below for more information - we need your help!  You'll also find lots of contest and grant opportunities, conference news, and more, so read on!

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.

Cars.com has offered SADD an amazing opportunity - a chance to compete for a donation of up to $100,000!  Those of you who like our Facebook page have been seeing reminders about the contest, and we appreciate your continued voting.  For everyone else, we need your help today!

The Cars.com Cares program works like this: seven nonprofits are competing for the donation, and voting is underway and runs until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Monday, February 13.  We'd love for you to vote today and every day by clicking here.  Voting takes just a few seconds, so it's really easy.  Then share your vote on your own Facebook page and ask your friends to help out!

For those of you who have the Shazam app on your smartphone, you can add $1 to the donation by tagging the Cars.com Super Bowl Ad.  Click here to watch the ad on YouTube, and while it's playing, open the Shazam app and run it to "tag" the video.  Again, this takes less than a minute, and you'll be helping the top charity earn money - we hope that will be SADD!

Thanks to Cars.com for this wonderful opportunity.  And thanks to all of you for taking a few seconds a day to help SADD National!  Vote for SADD today!

There are lots of contests and grant opportunities for your chapter posted on the SADD.org Contests page.  Check out that page for the full list (some have deadlines this month, so hurry!).  Here are some new contests and grants we want to highlight for you this month.

We are now accepting applications for the 2012 SADD College Scholarships.  We are pleased to be able to offer nine $500 college scholarships this year to SADD students.  To be eligible, you must be:

• A current senior in high school
• Committed to attend a two- or four-year college in the fall
• A resident of the United States
• Committed to living the SADD lifestyle (safe and substance-free)
• Part of a currently-registered chapter, which means your advisor has updated their registration this school year and has a 2011-2012 Certificate of Chapter Recognition (if not, ask your advisor to update now)

Are you eligible and interested in applying?  Then click here to learn more and obtain the application form.  The application deadline is April 20, 2012. 

 

The Great American NO BULL Challenge is a video contest with great prizes!  Create a 2-5 minute video on the subject of cyberbullying, and submit it by March 14, 2012.  Then rally people to vote for it online.  Fifteen finalists will be selected and win a trip to the Teen Video Awards in San Francisco, California, where the winner will be announced.  There are great prizes like a $10,000 video production deal, trips to the Sundance Film Festival, MacBook Pro laptops, and more!  For more details, visit nobullchallenge.org.   

 

Has your school experienced a serious traffic crash recently?  Are you planning activities to help prevent this from happening again?  If so, you can make a difference and win cash prizes at the same time with the YOUTH-Turn Awards.  Here's how it works: register your team by April 17, 2012, then use the YOUTH-Turn toolkit to plan and implement a traffic safety activity.  Create and submit a PowerPoint presentation about your project, and you could win $2,000 for your chapter!  The first 20 teams to enter will receive a free bonus toolkit with videos, giveaway items, and more, so register today!  To learn more, click here.

MADD is offering a Power of You(th) Video Contest.  Create a video of 30-60 seconds about preventing underage drinking, and submit it by April 27, 2012.  Five finalists will win an iPad and a trip to MADD's Teen Influencer Summit in June in Dallas, Texas.  For more information, click here.

Our friends at YSA wanted us to let you know about their Disney Friends for Change grants.  You can receive a grant of $1,000 to support a project for Global Youth Service Day in April.  The deadline to apply for the grant is February 29, 2012.  Make sure you enter "SADD" in the "Partner Code" field on the application so that you get a priority review!  Click here for the application and more information.

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 SADDvocate readers!  I'm Austin Ladenslager, and I'm a member of the SLC.  I'm currently a senior in high school in Halifax, Pennsylvania, and I plan to attend college for engineering in the fall.

It's February - el mes de amor.  That's the month of love, with Valentine's Day coming up fast!  It's fitting then, that February is also Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

I know that as a dedicated SADD student or advisor, you read that and think, "What can I do in recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month?"  Well, dear reader, I am here to help!  A great place to start is the National Resource Center for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, where you can find a list of ideas.  However, feel free to get as creative as you want.

At my school, we give presentations to homerooms about the warning signs of an abusive relationship, and we make Valentine's Day cards for every student that include facts about teen dating violence.

Whatever you do, I wish you luck encourage you to make an impact on your school and community.  Let's work together to end teen dating violence!

SADD is all about having the right attitude.  That's why we created Attitudes for Living!

This month, you'll get $5 off this shirt when you buy any item from the SADD Attitudes for Living line!  Offer valid in February only.  Use this promotion code on your order: SADDVDAY12.

Please allow 10-15 business days for production plus standard shipping time.  If you need it rushed, just let us know!  Additional charges may apply.  To order, visit saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or email sadd@apisource.com. 

If you haven't already "liked" the SADD Store Facebook page, do so right now.  You'll learn about special promotions like this one, hear about new items, and get some great deals!

Did you know SADD has a calendar of possible activities for your chapter offered by SADD and others?  You can find a link on the left bar above, or on the SADD website.  Each item is linked to the best website we could find on the event.  Start planning ahead!  Here are a few opportunities we wanted to highlight for you right now.

In the past, SADD chapters have conducted Town Hall Meetings on the topic of underage drinking.  These Meetings bring together members of the community to learn about the problem and work collaboratively on solutions.  Town Hall Meetings are back for 2012, and we encourage chapters to participate - hosting their own Meeting or partnering with community coalitions, local law enforcement, and other groups to put on an event in March or April.  You can learn more about Town Hall Meetings at stopalcoholabuse.gov.

You may have seen us advertise on our Facebook page in January about the chance for chapters to be nominated to receive a $500 stipend to hold a Meeting.  We're pleased to announce that we have a chance to nominate a few more chapters for a stipend.  If you're interested, please contact Chris Egan at cegan@sadd.org.   

Our friends at NOYS have introduced another resource - their Stop Bullying Toolkit for Youth.  You can download the kit on the NOYS website.  Don't forget about SADD's own collection of bullying resources as well - our Bullying. Not Cool. Bullying Prevention Resource Kit, which you'll find on the SADD website.

SADD has endorsed and promoted Words Can Work DVDs and booklets for many years.  These videos - addressing topics such as underage drinking, other drug use, bullying, and more - are high-quality, easy to use teaching tools that include step-by-step discussion guides.

 

Alcohol: True Stories, Hosted by Matt Damon is one of the products offered.  This 20-minute DVD, with discussion guide, is an ideal catalyst for group discussion among young people in grades five through 12, parents, and other caring adults.  An evaluation by Harvard Medical School showed a significant reduction in the number of situations that young people reported as acceptable for drinking after viewing the program.  It's perfect to use as part of a Town Hall Meeting on underage drinking (discussed above in the Programs and Resources section).

All Words Can Work products are produced with advisors from Harvard Medical School and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now you can help SADD by purchasing Words Can Work products!  If you enter code SADD with your order, a portion of your purchase will be donated to SADD National at no cost to you.  To learn more and order, visit wordscanwork.com. 

Registration is open and beginning to fill up 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!  Space is limited, so register right now!

Need help raising money to attend the conference?  Once your group registers for conference, you can use a special SADD e-card to send to family, friends, and others.  They can quickly and easily donate online directly towards the cost of your trip with our conference planning partner WorldStrides - you don't have to collect checks or cash!

Calling all experts!  Submit a Workshop Proposal!  We're seeking proposals for innovative workshops for the conference.  Do you have expertise in youth leadership, chapter development, or advocating for change?  Do you have knowledge in the areas of alcohol and other drug use, teen driving safety, bullying and teen violence, healthy lifestyles, or suicide prevention?  If so, please submit a workshop proposal!  Proposals are welcomed from youth, adults, organizations, and SADD chapters.  Proposals are due by March 9, 2012, so don't wait - start working on yours today!  Click here to download the workshop proposal form. 

 

In the Spotlight this month are two SADD chapters that shared stories with us about their holiday season efforts - Greensburg Community High School SADD from Greensburg, Indiana, and Westbrook High School SADD from Westbrook, Connecticut. 

 

First up is Greensburg SADD, which held an "It's SADD to be Cold" fundraiser to buy winter mittens and hats for at-risk children through the Greensburg Daily News Cheer Fund.  Teachers competed in a "penny war" - collecting change from students - to earn the right to wear a Santa costume on the final day of school before the break.  SADD Advisor Sharon Mang reports that they raised hundreds of dollars for the fund, with teacher Scott Mangels winning the prize (pictured above in the Santa outfit with the funds raised, surrounded by SADD students). 

 

Westbrook SADD worked with local package stores (that sell alcohol) around the holidays to educate patrons and keep teens safe.  SADD students (pictured above) decorated bags with holiday messages urging people to drive sober, keep alcohol away from teens, and not host underage drinking parties.

 

The store cashiers placed customer purchases in the bags, calling awareness to these important issues.  SADD Advisor Lyn Connery reports that the retailers were happy to have the students help, and in their small community the students decorated more than 500 bags, spreading their message far and wide.

 

Congratulations to both of these chapters for their caring efforts at the holidays!  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. 

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!