Nothing To Laugh About

Brentwood Elementary School in Plainfield, Indiana, asked students to each complete a comic strip that showed a dialogue between characters saying no to drugs. They were given Red Ribbon Week Sparkle Foil Pencils to write with. The students shared their comics in class. Some youngsters acted out their scenes. Everyone received “Celebrate A Drug Free Life!” Gold Foil Stickers.

There’s No Place Like Salem

At South Salem Elementary in Salem, Virginia, students, teachers, and staff followed the yellow brick road to a drug free life. The school was decorated with posters and characters from the Wizard Of Oz, and the soundtrack played during every lunchtime. Students put their names on paper ruby red slippers. Each day had a title with matching handouts: Dorothy Day, Twister Day, Scarecrow Day, Tin Man Day, and Lion Day. Develop your own Oz-related activities. Perhaps “Don’t Let Drugs Twist Your Mind!” Twizzlers would fit right in. Another nice choice would be the “My Character Matters” 5-Pencil Set, which includes a pencil on courage.

Famous Examples

Red Ribbon Week has made its way into Belmont Pines Hospital, a behavioral health facility in Youngstown, Ohio. Youth patients were asked to each pick a celebrity who has a chemical dependency issue. Their assignment was to first learn about these troubled stars (staff provided articles), then write letters to them. Patients wrote how they felt and what a role model should be like. At your organization or school, expand on this exercise. Hand out a “Make Footprints Worth Following” Red Sparkle Pencil and Red Satin Ribbon to each participant.