Drug and Alcohol Prevention: Reaching the Next Generation

Drug and Alcohol Prevention: Reaching the Next Generation

April was a busy, and impactful, month for the Hope is Alive School Support team. We had the opportunity to partner with schools and community organizations all across the Oklahoma City area, connecting with students, parents, and educators in an attempt to get ahead of addiction.

Through assemblies, lunch hangouts, student engagement, and parent trainings, we opened the door for the next generation to learn more about the stark realities of drug and alcohol use. 

We visited campuses all across Oklahoma City, bringing interactive presentations that students could actually connect with. Topics ranged from the Brain Science of Addiction to The Whole Self, Social Media and the Developing Brain, Spiritual Discernment, and The Power of Choices.

These presentations were intentionally designed to educate students on how substances and behaviors impact the brain, while also helping them understand the deeper “why” behind decision-making, including identity, stress, belonging, and emotional regulation. For instance, The Whole Self talk discussed how trauma and core wounds make us believe lies about ourselves, and how we then wear masks to cope.

Because not everyone responds well to a lecture, we also connected with students on a more personal level through lunch hangouts.

At our lunch hangouts, we created smaller, relational environments where students could process what they learned, ask questions, and practice real-life application of skills such as refusal strategies, coping skills, and navigating peer pressure — all of which are proven to be effective in preventing drug and alcohol use in teenagers.

Educating parents has also proven to be effective in preventing drug and alcohol use in teenagers. So, we hosted sessions focused on practical strategies to help parents navigate conversations around peer pressure, substance use, emotional regulation, and warning signs, while also encouraging stronger family connection and communication.

Our Addiction Prevention Mission

Across all settings, our approach remained rooted in the School Support mission to educate, inspire, and activate. 

We educated by providing evidence informed age-appropriate information that increased understanding of risk and protective factors. 

We inspired by speaking to students’ identity, worth, and purpose, helping them see their value and future beyond harmful choices. 

And we activated by equipping them with practical tools, skills, and real-life scenarios so they can confidently apply what they’ve learned in everyday situations.

By engaging students, parents, and school staff across multiple environments, we are helping cultivate school communities where students feel supported, empowered, and equipped to make healthy choices, ultimately working toward our vision of a future where drugs and alcohol are no longer appealing because young people are secure in who they are and where they are going.

In April, an astounding 1,800 individuals were reached through our programming.

April School Support Events Completed

• Mid-Del District – Parent Training
  Topic: Peer Pressure & Coping Skills
• Mount St. Mary Catholic School – Lunch Hangout
  Topic: Lunch Hang Talk
• Trinity at Edgemere – Assembly
  Topic: Peer Pressure
• Christian Heritage Academy – Assembly
  Topic: Spiritual Discernment
• Christian Heritage Academy – Lunch Hangout
  Topic: Spiritual Discernment
• Christian Heritage Academy – Parent Training
  Topic: See Something, Say Something
• Rejoice Christian School – Assembly
  Topic: Whole Self
• Oklahoma Christian Academy – Assembly
  Topic: Social Media & the Brain
• Southern Nazarene University – Assembly
  Topic: Neuroscience of Addiction
• Heritage Hall – Assembly 5th-8th
  Topic: Brain Science
• Edmond Memorial High School – Assembly
  Topic: Whole Self & Coping Skills