Leeward 76-77
Speaker(s):
Description
It’s Complicated is a PreventEd program that was designed, implemented and evaluated through the support of a local foundation. The program design relied on the power of adolescents leading lessons with their classmates. In prevention efforts, PreventEds know the messenger is often just as important as the message. By empowering young people to be leaders, they have the ability to gain a deeper understanding of the prevention information and the lesson is better received by their peers. This curriculum is implemented in a 3-lesson series that provides up-to-date facts on the changing landscape of cannabis in Missouri and across the United States. It allows the facilitators to have real conversations about cannabis and address many of the misperceptions on this substance. The final lesson includes details on how to have a conversation and “carefront” a friend when you may be concerned about their use of cannabis.
With the foundation’s support, PreventEd was also able to contract with an outside evaluation partner to determine the impact of the program. The evaluation team led PreventEd in a randomized control trial within high school for It’s Complicated. Results have recently been shared to show there are several outcomes with statistically significant results. The outcomes of the program will be discussed in the presentation, along with lessons learned and ongoing efforts to enhance the program.
Objectives
1. Gain knowledge on the benefits of implementing peer education programs among high school youth.
2. Identify ways to utilize youth in prevention work.
3. Explore evaluation techniques for primary prevention efforts.