NCJ Number
138431
Journal
Profile Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (May 1992) Pages: 1-4
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Project STAR (Students Taught Awareness and Resistance), an alcohol and drug prevention program in Kansas City, Missouri, is designed to teach sixth and seventh graders the simple art of saying no before getting into trouble.
Abstract
During the project's first year of operation, about 8,000 students received STAR training from 75 teachers in 26 schools in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Since 1988-1989, over 15,000 students have received training, with over 60,000 trained since the project's inception. Students learn key concepts of prevention and have an opportunity to identify peer pressure situations. While teachers guide the classroom experience, students select peer leaders to help reinforce the messages. During the 13-week curriculum, student lessons deal with such subjects as drug use consequences, practical techniques for refusing drug offers, media promotion of tobacco and alcohol, and new approaches to avoiding negative peer pressure. Students learn from games, skits, videos, and music that drug use is not acceptable. An additional component of Project STAR involves followup with eighth graders. As the first component of a planned, comprehensive prevention effort at the high school level, STAR Connections is being implemented to reopen communication between students and adults on the issues of alcohol and drug use. Instead of targeting all students, however, STAR Connections puts special emphasis on those involved in school activities and athletics. STAR baseline training is available to all community groups in an effort to increase community awareness and involvement.