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The SADDvocate 
 
JANUARY 2013
In This Issue
Programs and Resources
Spotlight on SADD Chapters
SADD Store
Contests, Grants, and Awards
SADD National Conference
CARE/SADD Research
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It's Time to Update!

SADD charges no dues or membership fees to our chapters - we only ask you to take two minutes every school year to fill out our simple registration form so we know your chapter is running this year and we have the most up-to-date contact information.

You can quickly and easily fill out the form online, or, if you prefer, print the form and fax or mail it to us. 

All chapters who registered by December 18 have received 2012-2013 chapter certificates, and another mailing will be sent shortly. 

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

Louisiana SADD
February 1-3, 2013

Northern Lights SADD
(MN, ND, SD)
Annual Conference
March 17-19, 2013 


Missouri SADD

March 27, 2013

Indiana SADD
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

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



Dating Violence




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 a new year and another issue of The SADDvocate!  This month brings us lots of upcoming events as SADD chapters get re-energized for the second half of the school year.  What do you have planned this month?

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.
Programs and Resources
NDFW logo January 28 - February 2, 2013 is National Drug Facts Week, sponsored by our partners at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).  We encourage all chapters to run an event this week, in which teens get factual answers about drugs and drug abuse from scientists and researchers. 

NIDA provides free resources to help you put on your event, including an event toolkit, lesson plans and other materials, as well as free copies of the "Shatter the Myths" booklet to hand out.  Check it out  by clicking here, and don't forget to register your event to receive additional support and resources.

NIDA Chat Day logo Part of National Drug Facts Week is Drug Facts Chat Day, which happens on Thursday, January 31.  This live chat with top scientists from NIDA can be watched by any school, but only the first 100 to register can actually ask questions.  So register today!

Each year, the Drug Free Action Alliance holds their Big Bowl Vote.  This simple, three-question survey is administered Monday morning after the Super Bowl - this year, on Monday, February 4.  The survey examines the impact of alcohol advertising on teens and determines which commercials were most memorable.  This simple, free program can be an effective tool to call attention to this important issue - and can even gain local media attention for your chapter.  New this year is an expanded toolkit which includes a media literacy lesson plan with an accompanying video to spur classroom discussion.  We encourage your chapter to participate!  Click here to learn more.

ICCPUD is the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Preventing Underage Drinking.  This somewhat unwieldy name represents a variety of federal agencies coming together to combine efforts to reduce underage drinking.  On Wednesday, January 30 at 2 pm Eastern time, ICCPUD will host the kick off to their new webinar series.  Some big names are involved, including the Surgeon General.  Click here for more information.

MLK Day of Service logo Monday, January 21 is the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.  On this day, join together in the spirit of Dr. King to serve others.  There are toolkits and other resources available if your chapter wants to take on a service project - click here to learn more. Don't forget our own SADD Serves: Youth Giving Back community service campaign for additional ideas and resources.

January 21-25 is No Name-Calling Week, during which educational activities are held to discourage bullying.  You'll find free downloadable lessons plans and kits of materials for purchase should your chapter want to take on this project.  Visit nonamecallingweek.org for more information.

The National Association of Peer Program Professionals (NAPPP) is again partnering with the Jennifer Moore Foundation for the National Peer Helpers Conference, designed for adult advisors of youth peer-to-peer programs like SADD.  The conference will take place February 27 - March 1 in Point Clear, Alabama.  For more information, click here.

Kick Butts Day will take place March 20.  This national day of activism empowers youth to speak up, stand out, and seize control against Big Tobacco.  Your chapter can register and obtain a free "event in a box", but $500 mini-grants are available only until January 15 - so apply TODAY if you'd like a grant!  Visit kickbuttsday.org to learn more and apply.
Spotlight on SADD Chapters - Holidays
Last month, we highlighted some of the activities SADD chapters were holding for the holidays.  We heard from so many of you after the December SADDvocate with news about what your chapters were doing that we thought we'd highlight even more holiday-related activities this month.

 

Marlboro High School SADD in Marlboro, New Jersey (their large chapter pictured above!) held the 19th annual Candlelight Vigil to promote safe and sober driving over the holiday season.  This community event drew 350 people, including the mayor and city officials, school groups like the band and choir, and representatives from the DCH BMW of Freehold auto dealership, which supports the SADD chapter. 

Marshall University SADD in Huntington, West Virginia, gave back to the community in a couple of different ways during the holidays.  They rang the bell at a collection kettle for the Salvation Army outside a local grocery store (pictured).  Before the holidays, they helped sell Christmas trees to benefit their local Big Brother/Big Sister organization.

Meriden SADD (overseen by the Rushford Center, a prevention and treatment agency) from Meriden, Connecticut, held their annual White Out Walk.  During this ceremony, SADD students dress in white and march through the center of town from City Hall to the police station, handing out red ribbons along the way to call attention to impaired driving during the holiday season.

Stafford Technical Center SADD
from Rutland, Vermont, hosted the annual Southern Vermont Red Ribbon Tree event at Rutland's Diamond Run Mall (pictured above).  More than 120 people attended, including SADD chapters from other county high schools; first responders and hospital staff; anti-drug coalition members; law enforcement officers; local and state officials, including the Vermont Attorney General; and families of victims.  At the ceremony, red ribbons carried the names of those killed or injured in alcohol- or drug-related crashes.  The tree is also decorated with silver ornaments, each of which has the name of a local organization working to reduce these tragic crashes.

Northlake Christian School SADD from Covington, Louisiana, was one of a number of chapters holding SADD Lights on for Life events.  They drummed up attention throughout the school community, creating awareness of the risks of impaired, reckless, and distracted driving.

West Deptford High School SADD in West Deptford, New Jersey, helped MADD with their annual "Tie One on For Safety" campaign - tying red ribbons to car antennas and door handles to promote sober driving during the holidays.  The chapter has been participating in this campaign for many years.

That's just a sampling of the many great things SADD chapters are making happen across the country!  Is your chapter doing something you'd like to share?  Send news and a good picture to [email protected]

Remember, share your good news with your local media, inviting them to events and sending them press releases and media advisories.  Make sure to have the SADD logo appear on clothing and signs to gain additional exposure - you can download high-resolution SADD logos by clicking here.
SADD Store - Friends for Life Campaign
SADD's Friends for Life campaign - typically conducted in February - was one of the first awareness campaigns developed by chapters in the early 1980s, when the SADD phenomenon swept across the country.  SADD students created simple bracelets with "Friends for Life" written or imprinted on them.  They shared the bracelets throughout their schools, with a special message attached: I care about you; I want the best for you; I will be there for you.

 

This powerful sentiment is at the heart of SADD's mission and the reason the organization has thrived for more than 30 years.  Young people building vital connections with their peers are the strongest force in prevention.  Through education, advocacy, and activism, hundreds of thousands of young people have endorsed this idea.

 

Click here to learn more about bringing this campaign to your school, and visit the SADD Store to order your bracelets now.  From now through February 8, 2013, take advantage of a special offer, with bracelets reduced to $3 each plus shipping.

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! 
Contests, Grants, and Awards
The application process for the 2013-2014 SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC) is now underway!  Current juniors and seniors in high school are eligible for the SLC.  Interested in this incredible opportunity?  The first step is to contact your State Coordinator, if there is one in your state, to see if there is a statewide process to designate a single nominee from the state.  If you're in a state without a State Coordinator or your coordinator doesn't have a statewide process, you may request an application by emailing Nicole Cheschi at [email protected].  Please note that a SADD chapter may nominate only one student, and only one student will be chosen from any given state.  Applications are due Monday, January 28, 2013.

SADD chapters continue to enter the 2013 Act Out Loud contest.  Here's what's so great about this contest - just by participating, your chapter earns money!  That's right - sign up and complete contest steps by their deadlines, and your chapter will receive $850 - and have a shot at the grand prize of $10,000, which SADD chapters have won two of the last four years.  But hurry - after January 23, the maximum you can earn is $700, and only the first 300 teams can earn money, and there are already 200 teams signed up!  To learn more, visit actoutloud.org and when you register, be sure to enter "SADD" in the "National Organization Your Team Represents" field!
SADD National Conference - Register Now!
We're busy planning all the details for the 2013 SADD National Conference: Decades of Change, which will be held June 22-25, 2013, in Orlando, Florida.

We're in the process of securing keynote speakers now, and look for our call for workshop proposals to be posted on our website by the end of the month.

Registration for conference is open right now, and remember - the price has gone down $100 since last year!  Don't miss this incredible learning experience and fun networking opportunity.  For more information, click here.
New CARE/SADD Research Released
The first semester of college is over, and freshman students are heading back now for the second half of the school year.  New research from the Center for Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) at Susquehanna University and SADD shows that more than one-third of these students experimented with risky behavior last semester, with 37 percent drinking alcohol and the same percentage engaging in intimate sexual behavior.  For 25 percent of these students, they consumed alcohol or engaged in sex for the first time ever last semester, while nearly half reported first-time drug use.

The good news is that the research shows that parental discussions can positively impact the safety of their children who are college freshmen, as they make the transition to adulthood.  These discussions can include reflecting on alcohol use and how it played into academic, athletic, or social performance in the first semester; communicating expectations for responsible behavior and sound achievement; and encouraging on-campus connections with caring adults.

To read the entire press release, click here.
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