Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate! Spring is here, at least officially, and chapters are moving into high gear as prom and graduation approach. We have lots of information for you this month - there's a lot going 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. |
 | SADD SPEAKs - Applications Available!
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 Applications have now been released for SADD's 2014 advocacy training program , SADD SPEAKs (Students for Policy, Education, Advocacy, and Knowledge). Twelve students from across the country will be selected for the program, which will consist of online advocacy training in May and June; 2 1/2 days of intensive training onsite in Washington, DC, from June 20-22; leadership responsibility for the advocacy component at the subsequent SADD National Conference for more than 500 attendees; and helping plan a rally on Capitol Hill and visits with elected representatives to press for SADD's legislative priorities. These teen leaders will then implement advocacy work back home on the state and local level through the remainder of the year. To be eligible, students must be current sophomores or juniors in high school with an interest in public policy and committed to attend the SADD National Conference this summer. While students will need to pay for conference registration and their travel to Washington, there is no cost for the SPEAKs program - all meals, hotel, and training costs will be covered for June 20-22. We thank Ally Financial and The National Road Safety Foundation for their generous support of this program. Past SPEAKs delegates have gone on to serve on the SADD National Student Leadership Council, and even as the SADD National Student of the Year! To learn more and download the application, click here. Applications are due April 28.
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| SADD Store - Get Your Prom Kit Today!
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The time around prom is one part of the school year when virtually every SADD chapter is busy working on safety issues. Our Think About It ... Prom and Graduation Season campaign is a useful tool - download it for free here. To further enhance your campaign, why not pick up the Prom Kit from the SADD Store - it's packed with Prom Pledge cards and other giveaway items to get your message across! To see the full listing of items contained in the kit, click here. To order, visit saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or email sadd@apisource.com. Remember to "like" the SADD Store Facebook page for all the latest specials and deals! |
| Contests, Grants, and Awards
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 Last chance for SADD College Scholarships! SADD is giving away seven $500 college scholarships. To be eligible, you need to be a high school senior actively involved in a SADD chapter and headed to a two- or four-year college in the fall. Applications are due April 18, so click here, if you're interested in learning more or applying, because time is running out!  We see news clips of extraordinary things SADD chapters are doing every single day - creative activities, incredible advisors, and super-active chapters that are terrific examples for all those involved with SADD. It's time to get some recognition! The Best of SADD Awards recognize the Activity of the Year, Advisor of the Year, and Chapter of the Year. Awards include a cash prize. Nominations are due May 2. Click here to learn more. There are a number of contests your chapter could enter with upcoming deadlines. Make sure to check out our Contests page - you can click through to it from the homepage at sadd.org - just look for the big green dollar sign! |
| Programs & Resources
|  April is a busy month for SADD chapters, with plenty of events your chapter can participate in. Global Youth Service Day is April 11-13. The largest day of service in the world, youth in more than 135 countries will be working on projects during GYSD. It's not too late for your chapter to get involved - click here for some quick and easy project ideas. If you do participate, make sure you register your activity on the map.
 MADD recently released research which says that teens whose parents tell them that underage drinking is completely unacceptable are 80% less likely to drink than teens who receive any other message. As April is Alcohol Awareness Month, MADD's PowerTalk 21 offers 21 days of activities calling attention to the importance of the drinking age of 21. Click here to learn more.
 April is also Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As part of the effort, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is kicking off a new high-visibility law enforcement campaign called U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Check out the campaign ad at distraction.gov.
April 24 is a day to Talk, Text, Act to Improve Mental Health. Here's how things work: anytime on April 24, gather 3-4 friends and text "start" to 89800. You'll receive polling questions and discussion topics via text that will guide your group though a one-hour discussion. Click here for more details.
 The next National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, April 26. On this day, people are encouraged to turn in unused or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal. Typically, this is hosted by local law enforcement, and your chapter can spread the word about the event. To check if there's a collection site near you, click here.
 The National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is May 7. On that day, teens are encouraged to go to stayteen.org to take the National Day Quiz, which is designed to be an eye-opening look at the consequences of teen pregnancy. For more information, click here.
 Each year, SADD partners with Liberty Mutual Insurance to conduct research into teen driving behavior. The latest research has just been released, and shows that while teens understand the dangers of impaired or distracted driving, their definitions of these risky behaviors don't correspond to reality. Click here to read the full press release, and click here to download an infographic describing the report that makes a great handout.
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| Spotlight on SADD Chapters
| This monthly column highlights the impressive work SADD chapters are engaged in across the country. Want to see your chapter in the Spotlight? Send news and a good photo to cegan@sadd.org.
March 19 was Kick Butts Day, and SADD chapters across the country were holding activities to discourage tobacco use among their peers. We saw countless articles of great Kick Butts Day events - here's just a small sampling!
 Kenneth Henderson Middle School SADD from Garden City, Kansas, held an event at lunchtime. They used the period to run activities, educate students, and also had a visual display - 19 place settings to symbolize the 19 people who would die from tobacco-related causes during the lunch period.
 Indian Lake High School SADD in Lewistown, Ohio, educated students during the week in advance of Kick Butts Day with daily facts about tobacco use and the health consequences; these were made through school announcements. They also used a visual display of paper hearts (check out the "SADD" in pink in the center!) to indicate the number of people who die in a single day from tobacco. Their event culminated in a trivia contest for students (to reinforce what they had previously learned) with prizes offered to the winners.
 Notre Dame High School SADD from Batavia, New York, used a different sort of visual display. They collected shoes from students, and placed them to read "Kick Butts." This display also represented deaths from tobacco use.
St. Mary's Central High School SADD from Bismarck, North Dakota, re-named their event "Kick E-Butts Day" and focused on e-cigarettes, which research shows is a growing problem among teens with sweet flavorings designed to appeal to them. They held a trivia contest focused on e-cigarettes with students competing for prizes. Check out the news clip of their activity by clicking here.
 Besides tobacco, SADD chapters were also working on other issues. Pembroke High School SADD from Pembroke, Massachusetts, participated in White Ribbon Day, which is designed to encourage men and boys to take a stand in ending violence against women. Female students at Pembroke High nominated male students who took leadership roles in treating women with respect, and the selected students accompanied SADD officers and faculty to the Massachusetts State House for a White Ribbon Day event.
 Whether you call it a traffic circle, roundabout, or rotary, these traffic areas can be confusing if you've never encountered one before as a new driver. Valparaiso High School SADD from Valparaiso, Indiana, took notice when the city installed a new roundabout (the term there). As part of a contest sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation and SADD National, they set up a roundabout where two hallways intersected. SADD students dressed in safety gear directed traffic, teaching students who had the right of way. What a creative activity!
Congratulations to all these chapters for the efforts - and to all SADD chapters working hard to make a difference in their schools and communities!
Material from local newspapers and television stations was used to prepare this report. Click on photos for original articles.
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| SADD National Conference
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 Last call for workshop proposals for the SADD National Conference, Life is a Jungle: Join the Expedition, which will be held June 22-25 at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, just outside of Washington, DC. We welcome proposals from SADD chapters, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, researchers, speakers, and more. We've extended the deadline to April 13, so you still have a short window to submit yours. For more information and the proposal submission form, click here. Hundreds of SADD students and advisors are already registered and looking forward to conference - won't you join them? You'll experience dynamic keynote speakers, skill-building workshops, a chance to network with other SADD chapters, particpate in a rally on Capitol Hill, and meet with your legislators to address SADD's legislative priorities. Don't miss out - click here to register today! |
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