You are ready to begin this workshop if you have (1) received confirmation of your participation, (2) visited the Orientation to Online Events website (this will ensure that you and your computer are prepared for this event), and (3) completed the Pre-Event Assessment Form. Then, please take a moment to read through this page. It will help you understand how the site is organized, how much time you should expect to spend participating in the event, and where to go for technical support.

How Do I Begin?

Linking Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention to Academic Success is a four-part workshop designed to be completed over the course of four days. The workshop is divided into these sections:

Day 1: Identifying the Links Between Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention and Academic Success
On Day 1, you will be introduced to academic indicators that can be used to link prevention and academic success, a model demonstrating the interrelationship of health and academic achievement, and the latest research in this area.

Day 2: Making a Case for Prevention as Part of Education Reform
On Day 2, you will learn how to collect and use needs assessment data that demonstrate the links between prevention and academic success in your school. You will see how Vermont is using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to link prevention and academic achievement. You will also see how one school district collects data in order to demonstrate these links and consider how you would use these data to make a case for prevention as part of education reform in your own school.

Day 3: Developing Your Presentation
On Day 3, you will review one model for presenting a case that links prevention with academic achievement. You will then explore some important variables to consider when developing your own case.

Day 4: Summary and Wrap-up
On Day 4, you will receive a summary of the week's discussion and be asked to complete an online evaluation. You are also invited to continue your online discussion.

How Much Time Should I Spend on This Event?

Participants should log on at least once a day, although past participants have found that they could better monitor and contribute to the online discussion if they logged on several times throughout the day. Please allow enough time each day to read through the daily materials, complete any associated activities, and visit the Discussion Area. On average, past participants have spent approximately one hour per day reviewing materials, completing activities, and contributing to the discussion. The training facilitator will check in two to three times a day to answer any questions and to facilitate online discussion.

How Is the Site Organized?

Each online event website contains these sections:

Daily Materials (Days 1, 2, 3, etc.)
This is where participants can acquire a basic understanding of the event topic. Materials will appear in a variety of formats and can be printed for future reference. Each day, participants will also be asked to answer two or three discussion questions, which are intended to help you reflect on and apply the information contained in the materials.

Discussion Summary
This section will contain a summary of the previous day's online discusion. On the final day of an event, it will contain a summary of the entire week's discussion. Please read through the summary before begining your day's work.

Resources & Links
The information contained in this section is designed to complement the event materials, facilitate your participation in the event, and enhance your overall learning.

References
This section contains the books, journals, and reports that were used in researching the links between violence and substance abuse prevention and academic achievement.

Event Support
Participants with technical questions can go to this section and submit an online request for assistance.

Discussion
After reading each day's materials, participants will be asked to share their experiences and lessons learned in this section of the website.

Take some time to tour the site and familiarize yourself with its layout and content.

Can I Print These Materials?

All of the materials and tools on this site can be printed and used for future reference. However, we strongly suggest that your review the materials online before you print them so that you can see how the different sections fit together.

To print a specific page, go to the page of interest, place your cursor on File (at the top of the page), go to Print, and then press OK. This will print everything on the screen in front of you. To print only the text (minus the navigation bars at the top and side of the screen), you must first open the site using the Web browser Explorer. Then place your cursor on the page you want to print, "right click" with your mouse, select Print, and choose OK.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to print the entire site with a single click of the mouse.

Where Can I Go for Help?

Participants with technical questions or problems can submit a request for assistance to Event Support. Your inquiries will be responded to immediately. You may also find answers to your questions in Tips for Navigating this Site, Tips for Participating in Online Events, and Tips for Using the Discussion Area.

Can I Access These Materials After the Event?

You will be able to visit this website at this address for one week after the event ends, though the Discussion Area will be closed during this time. After that, this event will be archived and housed in the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools Online Workshops section of ED.gov, where you will be able to access it at any time.