Kingsport, Tennessee
Corey Gardenhour, Principal at Robinson Middle School in Kingsport, Tennessee shares about the Vive18 prevention program. Speaker Jake White delivered three student assemblies along with two parent and community member presentations on substance use and abuse. These events paired well with the month of October since it’s Red Ribbon Week, a national holiday for drug and alcohol awareness.
The community rallied around this platform so students can enjoy positive, safe events without alcohol, vaping or other drugs. The school created a Vive18 club and has already gained support from PTA, United Way and the Chamber of Commerce. Jake will stay connected to students and faculty for a full year to help them build a sustainable peer-led prevention program that shows students they can fit in, make friends, have fun and feel good without using substances. Gardenhour says “this is a great countermeasure to build community for our school.” He knows that school test scores, attendance and culture are important and this program is a way to support that. It’s a way to prioritize their health and stay away from drugs and alcohol or other paths they could take. They already have a group of students who are excited to lead and the first event planned!
Bristol, Tennessee
Drug prevention speaker Jake White spoke to middle school students in Bristol Tennessee during October, the month of Red Ribbon Week. His program Vive18 showed students they can have fun, feel good and deal with life’s challenges without using drugs, alcohol or vaping products. It was very engaging with games, drumming, interaction and the theme of developing “skillsets” instead of using “shortcuts” like alcohol or other drugs. They are implementing the full Vive18 program to start a club that will allow students to host positive, safe, drug-free events for their peers as well. Jake White has been speaking to students in middle school, high school, and college about drug prevention and making good choices since 2017. The United Way was able to sponsor the entire program to bring him to the community and speak with many schools in the area, and even do a parent presentation on how to prevent drug use in their homes.
