Definition
Story Behind the Curve
In 2022, 4,532 Stanly County Schools students were reached with evidence-based youth prevention education. Prevention education is included as part of the Improvement Plan for Social and Emotional Learning and School Mental Health. Programming exists for students beginning in third grade through high school under a train the trainer model which will allow for continuation of the programming each year.
Partners
Stanly County Schools
Center for Prevention Services
Stanly County Health Department
What Works
In 2022, Center for Prevention Services collaborated with Stanly County Schools to provide two prevention education curricula for students. Too Good for Drugs was implemented for students in grades 3-5. This program is designed for reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors related to substance misuse in youth. This includes developing skills for making healthy choices, increasing self-esteem, and reducing peer pressure. Botvin Life Skills Training was implemented for students in grades 6-9. This is a substance misuse prevention program that is designed to reduce the risks associated with misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. This curriculum focuses on increasing self-esteem and self-confidence, as well as increasing students' knowledge of the effects of misusing substances. For the school year 2021-2022, the effectiveness of the Botvin Life Skills program. For both life skills and anti-drug knowledge, students' level of knowledge increased(3.1%, 0.95) after participating in the curriculum. With the 2022-2023 school year being the first for Too Good for Drugs, evaluation will be available in summer 2023.