What one single parenting activity can:

Topics: education, children

So many amazing teachers serve as Informed Families Ambassadors. They work hard to deliver our fun and effective universal prevention campaigns, which help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free. We thank you for what you do as a professional and the service you provide.

We know you have never experienced anything like what we are currently experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many teachers, transitioning from the classroom to online teaching has not been easy.

Topics: education, prevention, lesson plan template, ambassador, Covid-19, lesson plan, teachers, curriculum

Adapting to Change…who likes it? The Answer…no one!

Adapting to the shelter-in-place order forced on us during the COVID-19 crisis is showing some early adapters: the winners are colleges and schools making the switch from sitting in a classroom to having the classroom on your laptop. Hats off to you!

One of my college-age granddaughters sent me a text yesterday, but when I called her back (generational thing) she replied back via text: I’m in class can’t talk right now.

Many schools are requiring the students to show up for their online classes in their school uniforms or in the school’s dress code. Schools are getting on with business, the content is the same, but the delivery is different.

Informed Families was scheduled to be closed for Spring Break this past week, but we canceled it. Why? So we could get our Lock Your Meds curriculum online and ready to use when Miami-Dade County public schools reopened on March 30. Schools, teachers, parents and students rely on Informed Families to provide them the latest information, tips, and resources to keep kids safe, healthy & drug free.

Topics: President's Message, education, Webinars, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, teacher tools, lesson plan template, Peggy Sapp, social media, Covid-19

It’s National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week, a week focused on connecting teens with science-based facts about drugs and alcohol.

Here are some more fun ways your family can participate in National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week:

• Play Kahoot! E-cigs, Vapes and Mods: What Do You Know About Vaping?
• Take the National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge Quiz 
• Play the Jeopardy-style interactive game: Drug Facts Challenge
• Print a "Not everyone's doing it" placard or pledge card and tweet, snap or post a photo on social media! Make sure to include #NDAFW in your posts.
• Join a Twitter Trivia Challenge hosted by NIDA and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) on Friday, April 3, at 3 p.m. EDT.  Follow the hashtag #NDAFW and answer multiple-choice questions about drugs and alcohol.
  

Topics: parenting, education, positive parenting, teenagers, family bonding, teens, nida, drug use, parents, alcohol use, juul, vaping

OH THE PLACES RED RIBBON GOES!

Red Ribbon Week Whirlwind.

I started in Washington DC at the Pentagon Hall of Heroes. Every year, the Department of Defense presents awards to the outstanding Prevention and Treatment Centers from each branch of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard. What a thrill to hear the story of the Army Garrison Japan and how they affected not just the lives of the members of the military and their families, but the entire base. I was also really moved by the Navy's Drug Education for Youth program in Norfolk, Virginia.  The Military has less than 2% of their population test positive for drugs…We need to learn from the military and duplicate their efforts. 

Then on to discussing HOW the Department of Education’s Safe & Healthy Schools can equip educators across America with the right tools during Red Ribbon Week with Paul Kesner. Informed Families' programs are TIER 1 UNIVERSAL PREVENTION PROGRAMS.

Later, I met with the Drug Czar, James Carroll, at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Director Carroll had been the keynote speaker at the Pentagon and also at DEA Headquaters. He is charged with coordinating drug efforts. What better place to start than discussing the size and scope of Red Ribbon Week. I asked Director Carroll to recognize the work of grassroots efforts as a way to empower a loyal base of Americans opposed to drug use. Since many states are adopting the Lock Your Meds Campaign, it would be nice to have a unified campaign that came from grassroots such as Lock Your Meds to help address the opioid crisis.

Topics: President's Message, education, red ribbon, red ribbon week, children

Topics: education, high school, elementary school, middle school

 

"What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human soul." - Joseph Addison

Planning great teaching lessons does not come naturally or easily to everyone. It takes hard work, lots of effort and practice to create amazing lessons that your students will both enjoy AND learn from. In this post we share our secrets to the Ultimate Teacher Lesson Plan to help you keep your lessons exciting and engaging so your students can learn the most from your time with them.

Topics: education, teacher tools, lesson plan template

 

"A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning" - Brad Henry

 

We understand that your life as a teacher is tough. You have many responsibilities - the greatest of which is educating our children to help them make a positive impact on our future. We want to make your life easier, so we are sharing these teacher tools: 3 tools to make your life easier. 

Topics: education, teacher tools, lesson plan template

Topics: education, high school, elementary school, middle school

 

Making a difference starts with volunteers. Organizations like ours (Informed Families) and  Volunteer Florida  unite and strengthen Florida communities so we can make our State a better place to live. Volunteering in Florida is an amazing thing to do and there are many benefits! Stay healthy, socialize with others, learn valuable skills, all while having fun making our neighborhoods a better place. Making a difference today is easy!

Topics: education, ambassadors, volunteer in florida