DRAW THE LINE | LAWRENCE: May 2010

Monday, May 24, 2010

TOWN HALL MEETING APRIL 7, 2010

As many of you know, the Lawrence Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking, sponsored by The New Tradition Coalition of Lawrence, was held on April 7.

The presentations from Lawrence Police and Douglas County Sheriff's Departments are on the coalition website- www.newtraditioncoalition.org.

http://newtraditioncoalition.com/locallinks.aspx

AMERICA'S WEB RADIO-LISTEN TO STACY DeWITT

Looking for an honest perspective on teenage life
and the choices teens make?

Log On.Tune In.
Monday, May 24 at 1 p.m. EST
America's Web Radio
Book Talk with Ginger and Lisa
is featuring
Chandler DeWitt
Teen author of
Inside Out: Real Stories about the Inner Choices That Shape our Lives
and
Stacey DeWitt
National Speaker and founder of Connect with Kids

This is a provocative program that you and
your kids won't want to miss!

Can't listen on Monday?
Come back any time after Tuesday to stream the show to your computer, mobile phone or media player.
Listen while you work, exercise or drive!
After Tuesday, visit
America's Web Radio
Scroll down to Archives
Select 5/24/10 and click LISTEN!

Chandler DeWitt just finished her freshman year of college. She wrote Inside Out: Real Stories about the Inner Choices That Shape our Lives with hopes that its stories and information would help teens be true to themselves and resist the dangerous choices young adults often face.

Stacey DeWitt, Chandler's mother, speaks around the country to parents, teens and educators. She is the founder and CEO of Connect With Kids, which produces television documentaries and educational programs to help parents and educators discuss tough teen issues: bullying, drugs and alcohol, Internet safety, and trends such as sexting, anxiety, addiction.

Monday, May 17, 2010

VOTE & SUPPORT BONNER SPRINGS SADD CHAPTER TODAY!

Help support the Bonner Springs High School SADD Chapter. They have submitted a video for the Act Out loud Competition. Go to www.actoutloud.org and vote for Bonner Springs SADD once, every day until May 21. $10,000 is on the line!

Act Out Loud is a teen-led movement to take on the No. 1 killer of teens -- car crashes. It's time to raise your voice against distracted driving in your community. Support KS SADD and vote for Bonner Springs! Only four days left to vote, including today. http://www.actoutloud.org/#/home

Sunday, May 2, 2010

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT STARTING AT HOME

Want to know what you can do to help achieve change in our community? Here are some proven strategies. You can start at home. Work small and begin to network with families you know and community leaders to keep all of our Lawrence youth safe and free of alcohol and drugs.

Seven Strategies to Achieve Community Change

1.Gathering information-educational presentations, workshops or seminars or other presentations of data (like reading this blog!)

2.Enhancing skills-Workshops, seminars or other activities designed to increase the skills of parents and caregivers.

3.Providing support- Creating opportunities to support people in your network and community organizations. Stay tuned in August for another year of the LAWRENCE PARENT GROUP.

4.Enhancing access/reducing barriers- Creating options and opportunities for our youth to make healthy social choices. Group activities with a sense of adventure are sought after by young people.

5.Changing consequences (incentives/disincentives)- Let our youth know the consequences before they make their choices. Reward good behavior. Follow through with consequences.

6.Physical design- Changing the physical design or structure of your environment. Limit access to alcohol (and perscription drugs) in your home and ask other families to do the same.

7.Modifying/changing policies- Know your local laws, school policies and state laws. Talk to community leaders about enforcing and strengthening our laws to help keep kids safe.