DAY 1: Start Page

Introduction:
Hello. I am Yvette Lamb, Director of the National Training Center for Middle School Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators. It is my pleasure to welcome you to our third online event, Promoting Prevention Through School-Community Partnerships. This event focuses on building and maintaining partnerships to support prevention activities and promote social change. Many of you contributed to the content of this event, and we thank you for your input.

We are always looking for ways to make these online events new and exciting. For this event, we have included audio clips throughout the materials to supplement the text, so this will not be the last time you hear from me!

It has been wonderful getting to know many of you through our online discussions. Active participation is critical to the success of this and all online events. So again, welcome. It is great having you join us.

DAY 1: Partnering for Prevention

Clip #1:
Together, parents and community members can be powerful advocates for your prevention efforts. Parent and community participation fosters support and ownership of your prevention initiatives. Remember, involvement spurs involvement: People who are involved in meaningful and rewarding activities will want to continue to be involved -- they will also bring other people into the mix.

Clip #2:
Education is the mission of schools, and many of your school administrators and policymakers may be quick to point this out In your role as a middle school coordinator, it is up to you to emphasize the strong link between school-community partnerships and increased academic success.

Clip #3:
As you've no doubt already discovered, different partnerships offer different resources. Partnering with top-level school administrators is critical, because only they can ensure you have the staff support and fiscal resources you need to move your prevention initiative forward. However, neighborhood associations and religious groups often have well-established networks. Use them! Bringing them on board will strengthen your capacity to move your prevention initiative forward. Ultimately, your goal will be to develop a range of both personal and organizational connections that will sustain your program beyond its 3-year grant period.

DAY 2: Building and Maintaining Your Planning Team

Clip #1:
It is likely that your school has a handful of parents who show up for every meeting and every event. It's easy to call on these individuals whenever a parent representative is needed, but remember, it is important to broaden your pool of parental supporters. Consider working with the parent activists at your school to recruit other parents for your district's prevention initiative.

Clip #2:
As we stressed in our first online event, data speaks louder than words. As you approach potential planning team members, use available local data to heighten awareness of the extent and types of drug- and violence-related problems facing youth in your community. School and community members with a clear understanding of the local data and your mission are more likely to actively support and participate in prevention activities.

Clip #3:
One of your primary goals as a middle school coordinator is to ensure that the work endures beyond the end of your grant period. Creating an inclusive and well-functioning planning team is a key step in this process.

DAY 3: Expanding Your School-Community Connections

Clip #1:
One thing your planning team might want to consider is developing a website to highlight and disseminate information about your prevention initiative. You can create your own freestanding website or build upon your school or district site. This can be a great way to update students, families, school personnel, and interested community members about your drug and violence prevention activities.

Clip #2:
You may want to visit the website of the National Network of Partnership Schools, which is run by the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships. This website, which you will read about in section 4 and is included in this event's list of links, shares information on how to build an Action Team for Partnerships.

DAY 4: Looking for More? Resources to Support Partnerships

Clip #1:
If your planning team plans to incorporate school-community partnerships into your district's overall prevention plan, you will want to explore issues associated with evaluating and sustaining collaborations. These will be different than those related to evaluating and sustaining program activities. Visit our Resources and Links section for sites and materials devoted to these and other important aspects of building and maintaining community connections.