SADD logo red reverse    
The SADDvocate 
 
NOVEMBER 2012
In This Issue
SADD Responds to Sandy
Thanks for your Help!
Contests, Grants, and Awards
ParentTeen Matters
Programs and Resources
SADD Store
SADD National Conference
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State SADD Websites
  
Northern Lights SADD (MN, ND, and SD)
State SADD Conferences/Events

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

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Regional Vehicle
Dealer Partner

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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

New York State Younger Driver Toolkit

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!  Last month was a busy time for SADD chapters, with Red Ribbon Week and lots of other events.  This month, we're asking chapters to plan ahead for National Drug Facts Week in January and there's still time to enter some great contests, too!

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.
SADD Responds to Sandy!

Whether you call it a hurricane or a superstorm, Sandy had a devastating impact across a number of states.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who were affected.  There are still schools with active SADD chapters in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut that have yet to reopen after the storm.  We've reached out to these chapters and asked them to share their personal stories, which we'll post on our Facebook page.  We hope these stories will give you an inside look at what your fellow SADD students are enduring.  We're sure you've seen images of the damage from the storm, but here's a compelling video showing the scope of devastation in New Jersey:

Hurricane Sandy - Jersey Strong
Hurricane Sandy - Jersey Strong
Red Cross logo We've also heard stories about your response - SADD chapters across the country have worked to help.  Many chapters are raising money and supplies to donate to the Red Cross and other agencies working to help victims with a variety of fundraisers - bake sales, dress-down days, even the ever-popular duct-tape-a-teacher-to-the-wall day!  We encourage your chapter to help in whatever way you can.

 

Some SADD chapters in New Jersey have worked to aid those who are still suffering.  Kearny High School SADD in New Jersey is in a partnership with the DCH Montclair Acura dealership, and together they're holding a drive to collect much-needed supplies for fellow Garden Staters.  The dealership has also invited people without power into the dealership to charge phones, use computers, and enjoy drinks and snacks.   

 

Jamie Rattien, SADD Advisor at Freehold Township High School in New Jersey, shared this with us:

 

Over the coming months, you'll see "Jersey Strong" on t-shirts, bumper stickers, Facebook status updates, and tweets.  But don't let that fool you into thinking that we don't need help.  New Jersey and neighboring states will be rebuilding for a very long time from the devastating losses we suffered.  One day our Jersey Shore will be back and better than ever, but that won't happen without the support and assistance of many.  We will support our neighboring communities with fundraisers, clothing drives, and canned food collections - but think how much more we could do if we had continued support from others all across the country.  We are Jersey Strong and we need your help! 

 

Thanks to all of you who have already helped out, and those of you that will in the days ahead - please let us know what you did!
You Helped Us Raise $50,000 From AT&T!
We challenged you last month - if we collected 25,000 pledges not to text while driving, AT&T would donate $50,000 to SADD.  And you responded - we met our goal and earned $50,000!  We're so grateful - to all of you, and to AT&T for their incredible generosity and inspiring commitment to teen traffic safety.

If you haven't already taken the pledge, you can do so by clicking here (requires a Facebook account).  There are plenty of tools available to hold an event at your school - the 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.

We plan to use the AT&T donation to set up a student speaker bureau - we'll train students to represent SADD (and AT&T) at events and conferences across the country.  Stay tuned for more information about this opportunity.  Thanks again to all of you!
Contests, Grants, and Awards
There's still time!  Due to power blackouts and school closures on the East Coast as a result of Sandy, we've decided to extend the deadline for the SADD/National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) #drivingskills101 Driving Proficiency Contest.  The new deadline (for everyone, no matter where you're from) is Wednesday, November 21.

Create an original storyboard - a script, perhaps with pictures - for a public service announcement (PSA) that illustrates the obstacles you encounter while behind the wheel and creatively demonstrate 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 - 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 really HUGE 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.   

 

You're running out of time to receive $1,000 - just for participating in the annual Act Out Loud contest!  Your chapter can receive up to $1,000 for just completing the first five stages of the contest.  That's right, you don't need to win, just enter - it's free money!  But that's true only for the first 350 chapters that register and complete the first two stages by November 30.  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! 

ParentTeen Matters - Spread the Word!
PTM logo You might not be aware, but SADD has a special parent website and e-newsletter called ParentTeen Matters.  This is a great resource for parents and other caring adults.  Both the website (at parentteenmatters.org) and e-newsletter explore timely issues critical to the health and safety of teens: underage drinking and other drug use, teen driving, and parental involvement and empowerment.  You'll find useful tools for parents and adults, frequently asked questions, the latest research on how parents can keep their teens safe, and action steps and practical guidance. 

You can read the November issue of the ParentTeen Matters e-newsletter by clicking here.  Want to sign up to receive it as well as The SADDvocateClick here and enter your email address (or just click "Update Profile" at the bottom of this email), and follow the steps to add it to your subscription (make sure the boxes for both newsletters are checked).  Too complicated?  Just email [email protected] and ask to be added to the mailing list!  Please help us spread the word about this great resource to faculty and school administrators, parents, parent-teacher organizations, coaches, and community members.
Programs and Resources
NDFW logo Back for its third year, National Drug Facts Week, held January 28 - February 3, 2013, will help teens shatter the myths about drugs and drug abuse.  Sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Drug Facts Week encourages teens to get factual answers from scientific experts about drugs and drug abuse through an assortment of events and activities - online, on TV, contests, and in schools and communities.  With the truth about drug use, teens can make better, smarter, and safer decisions, which can save their lives.

We encourage your chapter to organize an event or activity that will raise awareness.  NIDA provides FREE materials and resources that can make your event fun and educational, including kits and lesson plans with 30 hard copies of booklets and other educational materials.  Click here to see all the resources available.

Ready to commit to doing something during National Drug Facts Week?  Make sure to register your event.  It's easy and connects you with NIDA staff who can offer advice on how to hold a successful event.  Your chapter will be added to the Events Map, joining hundreds of others around the country who are planning events and activities.  We hope to see lots of SADD chapters listed!

October was National Bullying Prevention Month, sponsored by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center.  But the battle to end bullying continues in schools across the country.  PACER has just introduced a new Unite Against Bullying School Event Planning Guide.  This free downloadable resource contains step-by-step instructions to hold a bullying prevention event in your school, with ideas for activities and content.  Click here to learn more.

Last month, we told you about a webinar called Teen Traffic Safety and the Highway Bill: Overview, Updates, and Next Steps.  We're collaborating on this webinar with the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), the National Safety Council, and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.  The webinar was scheduled for October 30, but was postponed due to Sandy.  We've rescheduled it for Tuesday, November 27 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.  If you're interested in learning more about the new highway safety provisions involving teens, please join us for this free webinar.  You can register and learn more by clicking here.
SADD Store - SADD Snuggle Blanket
SADD Snuggie
A review on the SADD Snuggle Blanket says "OMG SADD Snuggie!"  That's just what you'll be saying when you feel this soft and comfortable item.  Just like on the commercials you've seen, you can relax with it at home or take it on the road to stay warm at sporting events in ... uh ... "style!" 

 

The SADD Snuggle Blanket is available in black at a reduced price of $30.  Other colors can be special-ordered, including purple, sage green, blue, pink, or hunter green.

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!
SADD National Conference News
We're proud to unveil the logo for the 2013 SADD National Conference, Decades of Change, which will be held June 22-25, 2013 at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, Florida. 

We hope you'll join us for this unforgettable experience - fantastic speakers, dynamic workshops, networking with other SADD chapters, and, of course, lots of fun!  Registration will open soon, and remember - we've lowered the price $100 from last year!  More information will be coming soon - our SADD National Student Leadership Council is hard at work planning all the details.
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