SADD logo red reverse    
The SADDvocate 
 
OCTOBER 2012
In This Issue
Help Us Raise $50,000!
Programs and Resources
Contests, Grants, and Awards
SADD Store
Legislative Update
SADD Speaker Series
SADD and WorldStrides
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It's Time to Update!

Each fall, we have new advisors call us and ask whether or not their chapter is registered in our database.  The correct answer is - it doesn't matter!  We ask ALL advisors to update their information every school year so we know your chapter is running this year and we have the most up-to-date contact information.

SADD charges no dues or membership fees to our chapters - we only ask you to take two minutes each year to fill out our simple registration form.

You can quickly and easily fill out the form online, or, if you prefer, print the form and fax or mail it to us.  We edited the registration form last year, so please don't fax in a form from years ago - we're collecting different information now!

If you haven't yet updated this school year, please take two minutes and do so now by clicking the link below.

Click here to update now.
State SADD Websites
  
Northern Lights SADD (MN, ND, and SD)
State SADD Conferences/Events

Indiana SADD
October 19, 2012 

Meet in the Middle Regional Trainings 
East Central - October 23 
Northeast - October 25 
West Central - October 30 
Southern - November 1 
Northwest - November 8  

Pennsylvania SADD
Lancaster, PA 
November 13, 2012  

Seven Springs, PA 
November 14, 2012  

North Carolina SADD
Raleigh, NC
November 16-18, 2012

West Virginia SADD
Flatwoods, WV 
November 17-18, 2012

Indiana SADD
November 20, 2012 

Missouri SADD
December 4-5, 2012  

Indiana SADD 
12th Annual
SADD Celebration

April 26, 2013 
National Insurance Partner

Liberty Mutual logo
Regional Vehicle
Dealer Partner

DCH new logo

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Quick Links
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Stop Impaired Driving

Stop Drugged Driving

Governors Highway Safety Association

National Road Safety Foundation

Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks

Speak Up Or Else

Make Roads Safe

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25

National Sleep Foundation Drowsy Driving

EndDD

Toyota Teen Driver

Teens Drive Smart


Alcohol/Drugs/Tobacco
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

Above the Influence

Parents.  The Anti-Drug.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA for Teens

PEERx

Drug Facts Week

NIDA Goes Back to School

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Stop Underage Drinking

Talk. They Hear You.

Inhalants.org

Red Ribbon Campaign

We Don't Serve Teens

Kick Butts Day

FACE

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)

MADD's Power of You(th)

Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free

Get Smart About Drugs

Just Think Twice

Meth Project

Smart Moves,
Smart Choices


Natural High Online Film Series


Community Service
YSA

Global Youth Service Day

Do Something


Bullying/School Climate
StopBullying.gov

Teens Against Bullying


Think B4 You Speak

Mix It Up at Lunch Day

No Name-Calling Week


Suicide Prevention
We Can Help Us

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

aevidum

Suicidology

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

The Trevor Project


Internet Safety
i-SAFE

NSTeens


Teen Pregnancy
National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

Stay Teen


Dating Violence
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Break The Cycle

Let Your Heart Rule


Eating Disorders
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)


Steroids
Taylor Hooton Foundation


Have a suggestion for a link to appear here?  Email [email protected].
Greetings!

Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate!  This October seems to be the busiest month in a long time with Red Ribbon Week, Above the Influence Day, Mix It Up at Lunch Day, and more!  What do you have planned this month?  Also, we're asking for your help to raise $50,000 from our friends at AT&T - see below for more information!

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 [email protected]

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.
Help Us Raise $50,000 From AT&T!
We're thrilled to report that our friends at AT&T have challenged us - if we collect 25,000 pledges not to text while driving, they'll donate $50,000 to SADD - so WE NEED YOUR HELP!  Read on for more details.

As you know, AT&T has been working diligently to end the tragic crashes caused by distracted driving.  Their It Can Wait campaign includes the compelling The Last Text documentary, which you can download to your computer (and burn to a DVD) by clicking here - make sure to download the accompanying discussion guide, too!  You can also download a free toolkit here, and other tools are available as well.

Many chapters participated in the recent No Text on Board Pledge Day on September 19.  But it's not over yet!  Now those pledges add up to dollars for SADD.  Here's how to help.  First, take the pledge yourself.   You'll need a Facebook account to link with the Causes platform - note that pledges taken anywhere else (like on the itcanwait.org website) don't count towards our fundraising goal.  Once you've taken the pledge, invite your friends and family to do so.  If 5 friends take the pledge, AT&T will donate not only the $2 per pledge, but a bonus of $5 as well - so you personally can raise $17 in just a few clicks!

 

We're tremendously grateful to AT&T for their support.  Let's demonstrate the incredible power of SADD Nation - spread the word about the pledge today!
Programs and Resources
We're excited to announce the availability of a great new resource for your chapter.  SADD has partnered with the Alliance for Consumer Education (ACE) to create an Inhalant Abuse Prevention Facilitators Guide and Lesson Plan

The Guide prepares facilitators to discuss inhalant abuse with students through interactive activities that provide information on the statistics, dangers, and warning signs of inhalant abuse.  The Guide was designed to be used by high school SADD students and other peer leaders to share with younger students at the middle school level.  Anyone who wants to help increase awareness about inhalant abuse and prevention should find the Guide easy to use.  To download it, click here.  This would make a great activity for Red Ribbon Week!

October is a really busy month for SADD chapters.  We hope you're busily engaged in planning for at least one or two of the following options! 

October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month.  The best and most cost-effective way to address substance abuse is through prevention - stopping drug use before it begins.  SADD chapters are an important part of the effort to prevent substance abuse.  You can learn more about the month, see suggested activities, spread the word on social media, and more - just click here.

Above the Influence A big part of Substance Abuse Prevention Month is the first Above the Influence (ATI) Day.  Held on Thursday, October 18, chapters are encouraged to both implement the ATI "Influences Discussion" activity and draw the ATI arrow logo on their hands and post photos to the ATI Facebook page.  You can download the free ATI Toolkit that has terrific activities that your chapter can implement by clicking here.  Why not pick one or two activities and run them in your school in the days leading up to ATI Day?

October is also National Bullying Prevention Month, sponsored by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center.  For ideas about activities, check out SADD's Bullying. Not Cool. Bullying Prevention Resource Kit by clicking here.  You might also participate in PACER's Unity Day.  On Wednesday, October 10, encourage students to wear orange in solidarity with bullying victims.  You can find other ideas for Unity Day here.

October 14-20 is National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW).  Created by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Center for Injury Research and Prevention, there's a focus on teen peer-to-peer messaging through CHOP's Ride Like a Friend program.  Click here to learn more.

October 23-31 is Red Ribbon Week, a time when most SADD chapters are conducting activities.  Check out the SADD Store blurb below for more information on our Red Ribbon Supply Kit, and download our Think About It ... Homecoming and Red Ribbon Season campaign by clicking here!

Mix it Up logo Tuesday, October 30 is Mix It Up at Lunch Day.  Encourage students to sit with a different group of people at lunch to break down stereotypes, build relationships, and reduce bullying.  Make sure to register your event on the website!
Contests, Grants, and Awards
Calling all teen drivers: this is all about YOU!  We've partnered with the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) on our first ever #drivingskills101 Driving Proficiency Contest!

Here's how this works - we want to hear about the challenges you face on the road.  Create an original storyboard - a script, perhaps with pictures - for a public service announcement (PSA).  Write a script that illustrates the obstacles you encounter while behind the wheel and creatively illustrate how you handle these situations.  Pick from a list of driving skills, including blind spots, merging, driving distance/tailgating, and more.  The theme is #drivingskills101.  Try to illustrate your video around this concept - interpret it however you like.  Make us laugh, make us cry - all we ask is that you increase awareness of these important driving skills for teens everywhere.

 

There are big prizes!  The winner gets to have their PSA professionally filmed and aired on national TV, AND receives $500 for your SADD chapter, AND two students and an adult advisor receive a FREE trip to the SADD National Conference in Orlando in June 2013 (including flights, hotel, and conference fee)!  There are cash prizes for second and third place, too.  What are you waiting for?  Click here for more information and the application form.  Hurry - the deadline to apply is Wednesday, November 7

 

Remember, the Act Out Loud contest is nearing its first registration deadline - coming up on November 1.  Your chapter can receive $1,000 - just for participating in the contest!  That's right, you don't need to win anything - just for completing the first five stages of the contest, you get $1,000!  But that's true only for the first 350 chapters that register by November 1.  So don't wait - visit actoutloud.org today to sign up.  Remember to put "SADD" in the "National Organization Your Team Represents" field!    

 

We're frequently posting new contest and grant opportunities on our website contest page.  Just look for the big green dollar sign on the sadd.org homepage! 

SADD Store - Red Ribbon Week Supplies
Seeded Red Ribbon
Getting ready for Red Ribbon Week?  Why not go green while you go red!  The SADD Store is now carrying some unique, fun, and environmentally-friendly items that you might use in your Red Ribbon Week activities: Red Ribbon "seeded" necklaces and ribbons (pictured).  After your Red Ribbon event, you can plant the items and grow flowers!  These make an unusual (and affordable) giveaway to engage students and adults in your school's Red Ribbon program.

 

The SADD Store carries plenty of other Red Ribbon supplies as well - ribbon, banners, table tents, pencils, and more - or just order the full Red Ribbon kit.  And don't forget to download SADD's free Think About It ... Homecoming and Red Ribbon Season campaign kit full of activity ideas, planning guides, press release templates, and more.

Remember, buying from the SADD Store is an easy way to give back, as 15% of your purchase - at no cost to you - goes to SADD National to develop more programs and resources for chapter use.  To order, visit saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or email  [email protected].  Make sure to "like" the SADD Store Facebook page to get all the latest deals and specials!
Legislative Update - We Did It!

Over the last few years, we've asked for your help in advocating that Congress direct more attention to teen traffic safety issues.  We visited Capitol Hill as part of the SADD National Conference in 2009 with our SADD SPEAKs (Students for Policy, Education, Advocacy, and Knowledge) program, where attendees met with their legislators to press our case.  Our legislative efforts have been led by Jon Terry at Capitol Youth Strategies in Washington, D.C.   

 

Well, all our hard work paid off!  Congress passed the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) this summer - the new highway bill.  For the first time ever, teen traffic safety was added as a national highway safety priority!  Congress also recognized that teen peer-to-peer programs, like SADD, are critical to the success of highway safety programs - teens have an important role to play in keeping each other safe.

 

Carrie Sandstrom, our SADD National Student of the Year, addressed this topic in a recent opinion-editorial called Driving the Future.  This compelling op-ed has been picked up across the country, including in national publications like PoliticoClick here to view the full op-ed, and please share it with your chapter, your school, and your local media!

 

Are you interested in learning more about what's happening in Washington with MAP-21 and its teen driving provisions?  SADD is partnering with the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), the National Safety Council, and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety to put on a webinar called Teen Traffic Safety and the Highway Bill: Overview, Updates, and Next Steps.  The webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 30 at 2 p.m. Eastern time.  For more information and to register, click here

New Teen Driving Research - Parents Matter!
Liberty Mutual logo A new survey from Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD finds an alarming percentage of teens report their parents make poor and risky decisions while driving - and teens model their own driving behavior on that of their parents, which makes this even more worrisome.

A survey of more than 1,700 teens nationwide revealed that 88 percent of teens riding with their parents saw their parents speeding, and 59 percent reported that their parents texted while driving.  Almost half said their parents drove without seatbelts, 20 percent said parents drove under the influence of alcohol and 7 percent under the influence of marijuana.

To read the full article, click here.  You can also download the Parent/Teen Driving Contract that SADD and Liberty Mutual developed together by clicking here.
Give BIG to SADD on October 10 & 11!
Because SADD charges no dues or membership fees, we depend on the generosity of donors to help support our programs and services.  This enables us to continue providing chapters nationwide with tools and resources, like this e-newsletter, free of charge.  SADD is one of many great causes participating in a 36-hour viral fundraising challenge on October 10 & 11.  Here's how you you can help!

Make a donation to SADD online at givingcommon.org next Wednesday, October 10, anytime from 8 a.m. on through Thursday, October 11 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.  Post an invitation on your social networking accounts, asking your friends to do the same.   Let them know how much SADD means to you!  If SADD has the largest number of unique donors or finishes with the most money raised, we can win an extra $25,000 prize from The Boston Foundation, the sponsor of the Challenge.

Donations must be made by credit card.  Your contribution on October 10 & 11 would help us greatly in these challenging financial times.  Whether you donate, email the link to 5 friends, or spread the word to your entire network on Facebook and Twitter (use #givingcommon), we'll be very grateful.  Thanks!
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 [email protected] for help!

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

 

Sincerely,

 


Christopher Egan, Director of Field Services
SADD National