Freda Colley may be a relatively new Informed Families Ambassador, but she is no stranger to prevention. Colley, a Certified Prevention Specialist and the Northeast Florida Coordinator for Keep Kids Drug Free (KKDF), has been dedicating her time and talent to preventing youth substance abuse for 18 years.

Colley, an employee of Gateway Community Services, works to help students grow up safe, healthy and drug free through Informed Families’ four campaigns and several other initiatives. She learned about the ambassador program through a colleague, Vicki Kress from SMA Behavioral Health.

In her role with KKDF, she manages evidence-based prevention programs. This year, she incorporated Red Ribbon Week into her efforts for the first time and it was a huge success.

"I had connections in the community for working in prevention for so long," said Colley. "I contacted a local school, Chimney Lakes Elementary, with a strong PTA and parent base. We made sure to do something each day for the whole week, starting with an assembly with the students letting them know what and why we were doing. We focused on creating awareness that if you want to be an athlete, a singer, for example, or have success, drugs cannot be a part of your life. Students got involved and helped us by coming up with some ideas."

One particular success arising from the campaign was Colley's ability to reach parents with the drug prevention message. A total of 200 signed parent pledges were collected by the end of the week. While many children and teens are positively impacted by her programs directly, Colley, much like Informed Families, believes it is just as important to directly each their parents.

Thanks to a generous grant from the 2017 State Attorney's Safer & Healthier Communities Fund through the Miami Foundation, Informed Families will be expanding our Safe Homes Smart Parties campaign to address safe driving.

The program will reduce impaired driving by educating over 40,000 teens and families in 30 Miami-Dade high schools about the danger, consequences, illegality and social unacceptability of impaired driving through educational materials, educational activities and a targeted, interactive awareness campaign in schools and online.

In it's 29th year, National Red Ribbon Week® is alive and thriving. The State of Florida, which has always been a leading state in Red Ribbon Week participation, led by Statewide Sponsor Informed Families, is a wonderful example of the power of grassroots to create lasting change. With the current opioid epidemic, Red Ribbon Week is more important than ever.

Families, schools and communities across Florida demonstrated their commitment to a Drug-Free America during 2017 Red Ribbon Week® (October 23-31). Informed Families partnered with volunteer Ambassadors, agencies, organizations and businesses, leveraging resources and reaching more children and families with prevention messages.

Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, was created after the death of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was kidnapped, tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. In 1988, the inaugural National Red Ribbon Week®, sponsored by the National Family Partnership, was created. An estimated 80 million people celebrating each year.

Here are some highlights from 2017 Red Ribbon Week:

Red Ribbon Week is here! Join us in showing support for a drug-free America.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation? You also may not know that National Red Ribbon Week® (October 23-31) is organized out of Informed Families' offices in Florida. Our President & CEO Peggy Sapp is also the volunteer President of the National Family Partnership, the national sponsor of Red Ribbon Week.

Red Ribbon is intended to be fun AND effective. Here are 5 ways to celebrate:

Congratulations to the Person Family of Miami-Dade County, the Navarrete Family of Collier County and the Clisby Family of Volusia County on being randomly selected to win a $100 Publix gift card in the 2017 Family Day Photo Contest. Thank you for sharing your family dinner photo on social media with #flfamilyday to help spread the message about the importance of family dinners to help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free.

Stay tuned for our announcement of the school with the most family entries in Florida. The winning school will receive $250 from Informed Families.

Check out some of our favorite family dinner photos from across Florida...

Your Future Is Key, So Stay Drug Free™ is the 2017 National Red Ribbon Week theme and the message being delivered to millions of students and families across America October 23-31.

Given the current opioid epidemic facing our country, Red Ribbon Week is more important than ever. It is an opportunity to spread awareness and educate children and families about the consequences of drug use and the importance of a drug free lifestyle.

Join us in spreading this important message:

Kids these days...

16 Florida Schools and Organizations Named Informed Families All Stars for Their Efforts to Prevent Teen Drug and Alcohol Use

Informed Families, a Florida nonprofit devoted to helping kids grow up safe, healthy and drug-free, is proud to announce its All Star Schools for 2017. Sixteen Florida schools and organizations received the honor for this school year.

Informed Families created the All Star program to recognize the success schools and community organizations are achieving through drug and alcohol prevention efforts. To be eligible for All Star status, schools must complete the four prevention campaigns Informed Families sponsors throughout the school year:

What is student achievement? Ask different people and you get different answers.

Some might define student achievement in purely academic terms: test scores, grades, the quality of colleges that teens attend after they graduate high school. 

Others might look beyond grades to things such as varsity letters, perfect attendance or simply earning the diploma.

Still others take a different tack on student achievement: community service, successfully participating in anti-drinking or anti-bullying campaigns, organizing a safe and fun prom.

No matter how you define student achievement (and, indeed, many educators define it in multiple ways), highlighting success should be a focus in every school and every school district. Here are five reasons why:

Another school year has concluded in Florida - and students around the state are graduating high school or moving on to the next grade. The end of the school year also means something else near and dear to Informed Families: the selection of the All Star Schools.

What a year 2016-17 was for us! We bestowed All Star status upon 16 schools and organizations. Moreover, we worked with schools in all 67 counties across the state to implement anti-drug and anti-alcohol campaigns and provide information to help teens makes smart choices and stay safe.