The new school year is upon us, and a classroom full of fresh new faces will be presented with the reoccurring challenges of adolescence. From positive youth development to resisting the peer pressures of drug use, we are excited to bring you Natural High 5 and its many extras to supplement your drug prevention programs. While Natural High 5 continues its exceptional precedence of celebrities examining their own successes and discussing how their lives would be different if they used drugs, the Natural High Program has been expanded to include youth stories, youth engagement activities, and educator curriculum. Natural High recognizes that drug use impacts the lives of youth in many different ways. Representing these distinctions, the two youth, whose stories are included in the dvd, live the repercussions of very contrasting - but equally powerful - consequences of drug use.

Involving youth in engaging activities builds confidence and character development. Included in the Natural High program this year, Club in a Box is a how-to guide on starting a Natural High Club at your school and provides the power to change your schools take on drug-use all together. Youth can also PLEDGE to live naturally high, follow the I Choose A Natural High blog, and so much more.

And the additions don't stop there. The most valuable resources - the curriculum - have been added to the Natural High program for you - the educator. The Video Discussion Guide includes the most powerful video clips with key follow-up questions about the featured celebrities, general misconceptions, and the opportunity to make positive choices. The Educator Toolkit has been designed with you in mind and offers you the maximum flexibility in augmenting your Natural High program. The Recipe Book is comprised of Natural High lessons personally authored by educators for you to use and continue to deepen the Natural High message among youth. By taking the time to explore both the Natural High 5 DVD and the NEW Supplemental Disc, you can provide youth the opportunity to successfully overcome challenges they encounter during adolescence and beyond.

Our partnership with you and the thousands of educators in our network - throughout the United States - is essential to changing culture among youth. Be on the look out for Natural High 5 - this October - and continue the Natural High conversation throughout the year.

Featured Lesson: Letters

Letters has been provided by Jenn McLain, Eighth Grade Teacher at Desert Valley Elementary School in Glendale, Arizona. In order to inspire students to be and stay drug-free, this effective lesson will teach them about developing a relationship with them self. Students will write letters to themselves and include ways they will remain drug-free as they enter higher grades. Allow the students to read their letters at the end of the school year. By developing a plan to stay drug-free, students gain the confidence to cope with peer pressure at higher levels.

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Natural High Volunteers: Leading By Example

Youth volunteers from national drug abuse prevention organization, Natural High, hit a chord with teens at this summer's Vans Warped Tour. Attendees went wild for shirts, stickers, and the chance to talk to people their own age about drugs. Of the thousands of musically obsessed teens attending this summer's Vans Warped Tour, one can hardly predict that the message they would be taking home is to live drug-free. But amidst the bikinis, tattoos, and hard core shrills, there lies a powerful statement reappearing on stickers, shirts, and wristbands throughout the shows; "I Pledge to Live Naturally High." Tell your students to PLEDGE NOW!