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The SADDvocate 
 
FEBRUARY 2015
In This Issue
Programs & Resources
SADD National Conference
Contests, Grants & Awards
Spotlight on SADD Chapters
Healthy Relationships Committee

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Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate!  Here in Massachusetts, we're digging out from under six feet of snow over the last two weeks, with more on the way.  SADD chapters across the country celebrated SADD Shines Day and participated in National Drug Facts Week, and more busy times are coming up - check the calendar on the left bar for upcoming events!

Registration Form It's not too late to renew your chapter's registration for 2014-15.  ALL SADD chapters are asked to renew once each school year, and thousands of you have done so.  Don't have a 2014-15 chapter certificate?  Then you need to renew, which is completely free and takes just two minutes online here.  Please help us keep our records current and make sure your chapter is receiving the latest information.  We'll even send you a free poster with your certificate as a thank-you.

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 National Drug Facts Week (NDFW) was held January 26 - February 1, and we want to hear about what you did!  Send photos and video, along with a description of your event, to [email protected] by February 22 and the chapter with the best NDFW effort will win $500! Thanks to all chapters who participated in this important event.  Didn't have time to check it out?  You can still take the National Drug IQ Challenge to see what you know about drug abuse!

Dynamic speaker and friend of SADD Cara Filler has released a new book focused on fundraising, called The Student's Guide to Successful Fundraising. Available now on Amazon for just $8.95 for a limited time (a 30% discount), $1 from every copy sold will be donated to SADD!  Have a Kindle?  Buy the Kindle e-book version for only 99 cents!  Cara's fundraising workshops were a must-attend at the SADD National Conference, and you'll surely find many useful tips in this book for how your chapter can raise funds to attend events, bring in speakers, and increase the effectiveness of your outreach.

Purchase the paperback and you also have a chance for a free assembly at your school this year from Cara (travel not included).  Just email your Amazon receipt to [email protected] with your school name and address and a phone number.  Every book purchased gets you one entry into the drawing.  Good luck!

Above the Influence is now a program of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.  The Partnership has re-launched the ATI Toolkit with new activities and topics, including a section focused on prescription drug abuse.  You can download the Above the Influence Toolkit for free by clicking here.  Remember to check out AboveTheInfluence.com and the ATI Facebook page for more information and free resources.
SADD National Conference
We hope you're considering joining us at the 2015 SADD National Conference: Blast Off To Your Future, held June 28 - July 1 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee!  You'll find dynamic keynote speakers, skill-building workshops, an exhibit hall packed with resources for your chapter, and great networking opportunities!  You can learn more and register by clicking here.

We're searching for great workshops to offer at conference.  We welcome proposals from SADD chapters and advisors, youth groups, nonprofit organizations, corporate partners, and more!  Do you have something to offer?  Then fill out our Call for Workshops, which you can download here.  Proposals are due by March 29.

If you're a professional speaker looking to expand your audience, apply for SADD's Speaker Showcase!  If chosen, you'll present a shortened 20-minute version of your presentation to an audience ready to book speakers for state and local events.  Click here for the application, which is due by March 29.

We hope to see you in Music City!
Contests, Grants, and Awards
dollar sign Each year, SADD offers $500 college scholarships to current high school seniors actively involved with their school's SADD chapter.  This year, 10 scholarships are up for grabs.  You can learn more about the scholarship requirements and download the application and other materials by clicking here.  Applications are due by April 17.

There are a number of contests from our friends and partners with deadlines approaching soon.  Is your chapter looking for something fun to do with the chance for cash prizes?  Then check out our Contest page by clicking here for all the details!
Spotlight on SADD Chapters
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 [email protected]!

NDFW logo This month, we're focusing on two of the major events we asked chapters to participate in recently.  The first was National Drug Facts Week (NDFW), a week designed to shatter the myths about drug abuse with scientific facts sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).  Many chapters conducted NDFW activities across the country, including the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC), who took the online National Drug IQ Challenge during their winter meeting at the SADD National office and participated in a Twitter chat in partnership with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

In partnership with NIDA and the Bristol County (MA) District Attorney's office, SADD National also held a Virtual Community Forum on Teen Drugged Driving as part of NDFW.  A panel of prosecutors, parents, law enforcement, and SADD students and alumni discussed the importance of the issue and took calls from across the country to answer questions.

Henry Sibley High School SADD from Mendota Heights, Minnesota, conducted a variety of activities for NDFW, including school announcements, a poster campaign, and more.  They called attention to the week with bright t-shirts worn by SADD students (pictured).

SADD Shines Day was also celebrated coast to coast on February 4.  This day to call attention to the good work SADD chapters are doing across the country received attention from many elected officials, as governors in Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, and more proclaimed February 4 as SADD Shines Day in their states.  County commissioners, mayors, selectmen, and more also issued proclamations in their respective areas.

Maryland was particularly active, with not just a state proclamation, but proclamations issued by many of the counties as well.  Our state coordinator in Maryland, The Impact Society, partnered with South River High School SADD in Edgewater, Maryland, for a special SADD Shines Day assembly.  They had an alumnus of the school visit to talk about the impact of destructive decisions on his life, had a SADD Shines Day lantern ceremony with SADD students, were presented with proclamations from Governor Hogan and Anne Arundel County, and then The Impact Society's unique New Youth Culture band performed.

Brand-new chapters got into the spirit, too.  Cleburne High School SADD from Cleburne, Texas, started up this school year, and has been very active.  On SADD Shines Day, they worked to secure media coverage celebrating their extensive efforts over the course of the year, and their plans for the months ahead.  Their phenomenal success as a new chapter is a testament to their strong officers (pictured) and the support of their advisors!

Special thanks to all of you who celebrated National Drug Facts Week and SADD Shines Day!
Healthy Relationships Committee
Each month for the remainder of the school year, the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC) Healthy Relationships Committee will present an article in the SADDvocate.

Did you know that February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month?  As members of the SLC, we decided to bring attention to this pressing issue through our healthy relationships committee.  Education is the first step in prevention, so let us all work together as SADD Nation to put an end to teen dating violence!

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and Break the Cycle, 1 in 3 teens in the United States report being physically, emotionally, or verbally abused by a dating partner.  That stunning statistic means your school likely has a problem with teen dating violence.  The SLC believes that healthy relationships should be based on mutual respect, open communication, and appreciation for each other.

If you are in an abusive relationship or know someone who is, don't wait to find help.  There are lots of resources - both inside your school and outside.  You can call a 24/7 hotline at 1-866-331-9474, text "loveis" to 22522, or chat live at loveisrespect.org.  Help is out there for everyone, and remember, look out for your friends!
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