Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate and to a brand new year! We hope your chapter is gearing up for the second half of the school year with renewed energy and excitement - we sure are!  It's not too late to renew your chapter registration for this school year, as ALL SADD chapters are asked to do. Renewing takes just two minutes online and is the only way for us to know that your chapter is still active and we have the correct contact information. Don't have a 2014-15 chapter certificate? Then please take two minutes to register by clicking here. Thanks to the thousands of SADD chapters that have renewed thus far! 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. |
 | Programs and Resources
|  January 26 - February 1 is National Drug Facts Week, sponsored by our friends at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Designed to provide scientifically-accurate information to teens about drugs and drug abuse, we're hoping every SADD chapter will find a way to participate! There are endless activity ideas for you to consider, with plenty of simple, easy-to-implement choices. If your chapter is able to participate, make sure to register your event on the NDFW map (and make sure to include "SADD" along with your school name in the "Organization Name" field!). To learn more, click here.
We'll be holding a special contest for chapters - just register your NDFW activity, and after the week is over send an email with a short description of your activity (along with any photos or videos) to fieldservices@sadd.org. The chapter with the best activity will win a cash prize of $500!
 As part of National Drug Facts Week, SADD will be co-hosting a Virtual Community Forum on Drugged Driving on Monday, January 26 at 2:30 PM Eastern time. Co-hosted with NIDA and the Bristol County (Massachusetts) District Attorney's office, this webinar will feature a panel of experts and students talking about the issue, with the chance for viewers to call in with questions. We hope you'll join us! Click here for a pdf flyer with all the log-in information.
 SADD Shines Day will take place on Wednesday, February 4. This is a day for all SADD chapters to celebrate the difference SADD makes in schools and communities across the nation - won't you join us? There are lots of options for your celebration - you can download our Resource Kit for activity ideas, and there are plenty of other tools as well, from social media messaging to school announcement templates. Click here for all the information you need to plan a great celebration, and get ready to Shine on February 4!
 Are you concerned about youth marijuana use in your community? Searching for resources to help educate students, parents, and others about this important issue? SADD recommends THEN and NOW: Industry Playbooks and Addiction Marketing from Edventi as one of the most useful educational tools for marijuana prevention programming. Available on DVD or Blu-Ray, this video exposes the impact of 21st century pot on teens and how the marijuana industry is positioning themselves to become the next Big Tobacco. Click here to watch the trailer, learn more, and place your order for this valuable resource, which includes a 15-question discussion guide for classroom use. Purchase orders are accepted.  The Big Bowl Vote is back for another year, sponsored by our friends at the Drug Free Action Alliance. SADD chapters across the country have participated in this survey, which measures the impact of alcohol advertising during the Super Bowl. Participating is simple - on Monday, February 2 (the morning after the game), administer the three-question survey and then report your results. You can use the results locally to get some media attention, and also use it as a media literacy teaching tool. To download the Big Bowl Vote Playbook (resource kit) explaining the program, click here. |
| Contests, Grants, and Awards
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We've got a whole lot of contests for you this month. Remember, your chances of winning many of these are better than you might think!  First up is the Drive Smart distracted driving PSA contest sponsored by the Wireless Foundation. Create a 30-second video or radio PSA or a print ad that convinces teens not to drive distracted. There are big scholarship prizes, including $5,000 for the winner! Hurry, because the deadline to enter is Friday, January 30! For more information, visit drivesmartnow.com.  Do you have an idea for a practical way to reduce distracted driving, either locally or nationally? Enter the Chaffin Luhana Foundation's DRAW (DRiver AWareness) contest. Submit a video that outlines your concept in 90 seconds or less. Winners receive a $2,000 scholarship and a trip to Utah for an honoree dinner. If you're interested, act fast - the deadline to enter is January 31. Click here to learn more and enter.  The Courageous Persuaders Video Contest asks you to create a 30-second video PSA targeted towards middle school students about the dangers of underage drinking. There's also a separate contest to find the best 30-second video PSA about the risks of texting while driving. A total of $21,000 in scholarships will be awarded to the winners! The deadline to enter is February 12, so visit courageouspersuaders.com to learn more.  The Great American NO BULL Challenge is back for another year. This contest challenges you to create a video to help end bullying both in person and online. You have a choice of creating a short film of 2-5 minutes, or a shorter PSA of 30-60 seconds. Upload your video by February 27, and then there's a public voting period to pick the top 25 videos to go to the final judging stage. 15 finalists go to Los Angeles for the NO BULL National Educational Conference and Video Awards, where the winners are announced. To learn more and enter, visit nobullchallenge.org.  The Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Contest asks you to create a 60-90 second video PSA that highlights the importance of safe teen driving. The grand prize winner receives $15,000 and the chance to produce a PSA with a Discovery film crew! The entry deadline is March 16. Click here to learn more. |
| Spotlight on SADD Chapters
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This monthly column highlights the impressive work SADD chapters are doing across the nation. Want to see your chapter in the Spotlight? Send news and a good group photo to fieldservices@sadd.org.During the holiday season, many SADD chapters looked for ways to give back. Here are just a few of the many ways SADD made a difference in the community.  Shakopee High School SADD from Shakopee, Minnesota, got involved in the Mary Shawl Project, which produces comfort shawls for the victims of impaired driving crashes and their families. SADD students held fundraisers to purchase the necessary materials, and then hand-made a number of shawls to distribute.  Liberty Christian School SADD in Argyle, Texas, looked for ways to give back to the community. They identified a local soup kitchen serving the homeless as the charity they wanted to support. Then they went on a shopping spree and purchased and wrapped 50 gift boxes to give away. Packed with useful hygiene items as well as other presents, the gift boxes were presented to those in need.  Ingleside High School SADD from Ingleside, Texas, found another way to give back. They visited a local nursing home to spread a little holiday cheer. The students handed out gifts and serenaded seniors with Christmas carols. They also baked cookies with residents, giving them a chance to spend some one-on-one time.  Robertsdale High School SADD from Robertsdale, Alabama, held "Operation Christmas Babies." They "adopted" a baby boy and a baby girl, and assembled everything a family with a newborn could possibly need, from diapers to baby wipes and even a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament. The items were then brought to a local maternity ward to give to two families in need. Congratulations to these chapters - and to all of you who found ways to give back to your communities during the holiday season! Material from local newspapers was used to prepare a portion of this report. Click on photos for original articles, if applicable.
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| SADD National Conference
|  Registration is open for the 2015 SADD National Conference: Blast Off To Your Future, which will be held June 28 - July 1 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The SADD National Student Leadership Council and staff are busy planning a terrific conference for you, and we're delighted to announce our first two keynote speakers.
 Blake McMeans was a star athlete who was nearly killed in an impaired driving crash. Blake speaks across Tennessee and beyond, sharing stories of his recovery and helping students make better choices. With rave reviews from SADD chapters and other groups, we're looking forward to his presentation. Learn more about Blake's story at blakemcmeans.org.
 Calvin Terrell will return as a keynote speaker, having presented at the 2008 SADD National Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Calvin brings a message of empowerment, human rights, and social justice in an upbeat and engaging presentation. He's received numerous awards and presented before schools, community groups, corporations, and more. You can learn more about Calvin at calvinterrell.com.
Besides great keynote speakers, the conference will include skill-building workshops, an exhibit hall packed with organizations with plenty to offer SADD chapters, and a Speaker Showcase to connect with other fantastic speakers that you might bring to your school. Applications for all three of these opportunities will be on sadd.org by February 1, so check back soon.
To learn more and register for conference, click here.
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| SADD Store - Attitudes for Living T-Shirt!
|  Every day, you live SADD's Attitudes for Living: Believe in Yourself, Strive to Make a Difference, Inspire Others, and Laugh Along the Way. Spread the message further with the new SADD Attitudes for Living t-shirt!
This appealing shirt will alert everyone you see to SADD's positive, upbeat message. It's available now, and makes a great impression at your SADD chapter's events. Check it out further by clicking here.
To order, visit saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or email sadd@apisource.com. Make sure you like the SADD Store Facebook page for all the latest deals and specials!
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