We're very pleased to welcome Dawn Teixeira as SADD's new President & CEO.  Dawn is a Massachusetts native with significant experience growing and developing nonprofit organizations, and with her leadership, SADD is poised for great things in the year ahead! 

You can read the full press release announcing Dawn's hiring by clicking here.  Or hear from Dawn in her own words by reading her guest column about SADD in her hometown newspaper.

Please join us in welcoming Dawn to SADD!

SADD SPEAKs (Students for Policy, Education, Advocacy, and Knowledge) is back for another year!  This is SADD's national advocacy training program focused on teen traffic safety.  Just 15 students nationally will be selected for the program, which consists of online advocacy training in the spring, an on-site training in Washington, DC, July 20-23, and state/local advocacy projects in the fall. 

Current sophomores and juniors in high school are eligible to apply, and the program is completely free, thanks to our Presenting Sponsor State Farm and additional sponsor The National Road Safety Foundation.  Applications are due by April 10.  To learn more and download the application, click here.

March 18 is the 20th annual Kick Butts Day, a day to stand up, speak out and seize control from Big Tobacco.  SADD chapters across the country will be working on anti-tobacco activities, and it's not too late to join them!  Visit kickbuttsday.org to get activity ideas, register your activity so it appears on their map, and connect on social media to add your voice to the thousands of others taking on this important issue!

March 15-21 is National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW), sponsored by our friends at the Alliance for Consumer Education (ACE).  SADD worked with ACE to develop an Inhalant Abuse Prevention Facilitator's Guide, which you can download for free from our website by clicking here. Designed to help SADD students (and adults) facilitate a discussion about the danger of inhalant abuse, particularly with middle school students, this guide could be the centerpiece of your NIPAW efforts - or at any time of the year.

April 17-19 is Global Youth Service Day.  On these days, young people all across the world will be taking on service projects to make the world a better place - and your chapter could be among them.  On gysd.org, you'll find toolkits to help you choose and plan a service project.  Make sure to register your event to appear on the GYSD map!

Every day, we see news clips of great things SADD students are doing across the country.  There are creative activities, incredible advisors, and outstanding chapters.  Now it's time for YOUR chapter to get some recognition, by applying for one or more of the Best of SADD National Awards.  We'll be handing out cash prizes for Activity of the Year, Advisor of the Year, and Chapter of the Year.  Nomination forms are due May 1.  To learn more and access the forms, click here.

The deadline is approaching for SADD's College Scholarship program.  Ten $500 scholarships are available to current seniors in high school committed to attend a 2- or 4-year college in the fall who are active members of their SADD chapter.  Applications are due April 17.  For more information, click here. 

The NOYS Seat Belts Save challenge returns for a spring run.  Survey your school to identify the rate of seat belt use, put on an educational campaign designed to raise usage, then measure your results again to see the impact you made. There are cash prizes and even trips to national conferences - like the SADD National Conference - for the winners.  Hurry, the deadline to register is April 17.  To learn more and enter, visit seatbeltssave.org.  

There are plenty of other contests with upcoming deadlines on our website.  Click here to check them out!

The 2015 SADD National Conference: Blast Off to Your Future will be held June 28 - July 1 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.  We're planning a terrific conference and hope you'll join us!

Our Call for Workshops and Speaker Showcase applications are both due March 29 - so if you're planning to submit, please do so soon!  We welcome workshop proposals from SADD chapters, other nonprofits, and others.  Professional speakers can apply to be part of our Speaker Showcase.  You can learn more, download both applications, and start the conference registration process by clicking here.  We look forward to seeing you in Nashville!

This monthly column highlights the impressive work SADD chapters are doing across the country.  Want to see your chapter in the Spotlight?  Send news and a good photo to fieldservices@sadd.org. 

Many SADD chapters participated in Do Something's Teens for Jeans program, in which gently-worn jeans are collected for teens in homeless shelters.  Holliston High School SADD from Holliston, Massachusetts, was one of those participating.  Over the course of the campaign, they managed to collect 150 pairs of jeans from students in the school.  Homeless teens say the number one item that makes their lives feel more normal is a pair of jeans, so these 150 pairs will make a big difference!

Wyoming County SADD from Rock View, West Virginia, finished second in SADD's Best of SADD National Awards program for Chapter of the Year in 2013-14.  This year, they're aiming for first place!  They've had a busy year, from a Zombie 5K at Halloween to their upcoming annual Egg Drop - where 10,000 candy-filled plastic eggs are dropped from a helicopter for students at their local middle school.  Wyoming County SADD is known for their creative programming, and they chose to address Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in February by hosting a masquerade ball with the theme of "Unmasking the Truth."  At the ball, statistics and information about teen dating violence were shared to help educate students.

Congratulations to these chapters, and to all of you doing outstanding work all across the country!

Each month, the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC) Healthy Relationships Committee will present an article in The SADDvocate.

This month we're focused on family.  The SLC is able to be productive and have fun doing so because we consider ourselves one big family.  But it takes work to keep family relationships healthy and strong. 

According to Advocates for Youth, there are a few key ways to strengthen family relationships.  First, appreciation is important - show appreciation for family members by praising them for their accomplishments, thanking them for helping you, and simply being affectionate!  Second is commitment.  You show your commitment to your family by something as simple as spending time with them - commit to put family first in certain situations and to work to better your relationships with each member of your family.  Finally, communication is critical.  Being honest and open, while being kind and understanding at the same time, breaks down barriers and promotes trust. 

Maintaining a healthy relationship with your families (biological and otherwise!) takes time and effort, but the reward for your hard work is gaining the love and support of family members when you need it most!  For more information about strategies to improve family relationships, click here.

Prom is fast-approaching at many schools.  Each spring, SADD chapters take on important prevention work to keep classmates safe on this special night.  SADD's Think About It ... Prom & Graduation Season campaign is a useful tool for your chapter.  Strengthen the impact of the campaign with the associated Prom Kit, available from the SADD Store.  Besides a printed version of the campaign, you'll find pencils, static clings, pledge cards, and wristbands, all carrying an important prom safety message.

You can order online at saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or email sadd@apisource.com.  Make sure to like the SADD Store Facebook page for all the latest deals and specials!