CURRENT INFORMATION - Richland One Community Coalition

 UNDERAGE

YOUTH LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

WINTER 2012
DRINKING HOTLINE... 1
INITIATIVES
.2
& E VENTS… 3
Committed to Building a Firm Foundation
for Richland One Youth
The Richland One Community Coalition (ROCC) is an organization that is on the move! This action group is
comprised of community individuals and organizations including churches, nonprofit agencies, schools and
businesses. Our mission is to mobilize the community to address the underlying conditions of substance
abuse and other high risk behaviors among youth through community awareness, concern and action.
CURRENT INFORMATION
ROCC, PASS Project and
City of Columbia promote
Underage Drinking Hotline and
Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week
The water bill insert was mailed to over 120,000 City of Columbia customers.
2013
ROCC Meetings
ROCC’s Community Committee and the
Richland One Parents and Students Succeed
(PASS) Project/Homeless Office have
partnered with the City of Columbia for the
November water bill insert. During the
holiday season, the ROCC Community
Committee reminded adults that is its illegal
to give alcohol to minors. The committee also
provided local underage drinking hotline
information. On the other side of the water
bill insert, the PASS Project shared that
Richland One served more than 1,000
children and youth last school year and other
pertinent homeless facts.
Meetings are held on Mondays
Time:
January 28
September 9
11:00 AM—12:30 PM
March 11
October 21
Location:
May 13
December 2
Lyon Street Teleconference Center
1310 Lyon Street, Columbia, SC 29204
ROCC sponsors
Youth Leadership Development Training
Faye Houston, ROCC Co-chair; Felicia Brown, ROCC
Coordinator; Eric Rowles and Fred Baker, Leading To
Change Facilitators.
A. C. Flora High School Youth Club
The Richland One Community Coalition (ROCC)
sponsored the “Leading To Change” youth leadership
development training on September 21. Eric Rowles, a nationally
recognized trainer, speaker, and consultant whom has worked
with over 150,000 youth, adults, administrators, professionals,
and policy makers within the past 15 years conducted the
training along with Fred Baker. Held at Heyward’s Career and
Conference Center, more than 40 students from A.C. Flora and Eau
Claire High Schools as well as students in Heyward’s Excel
Academy participated in the training. The purpose of the training
was to empower teens to address difficult situations and make
healthy choices. It also provided the opportunity to equip students
with the enthusiasm and motivation to implement the Richland
One Above the Influence Youth Clubs within their schools and
communities.
Above the Influence (ATI) is a national campaign created and
implemented by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a
program of the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy. ATI informs and inspires teens to reject illicit drugs via TV,
print, Internet, and local radio advertising – and, most
importantly, in partnership with community organizations, like
ROCC. The Richland One Above the Influence Youth Clubs are
student led and club members may decide to conduct a teen
expressions art project, develop a short video/movie, create
posters/print media for distribution to local churches, schools and
coalitions, submit op-ed pieces to newspapers/newsletters,
conduct town hall/youth panel discussions.
Through these projects, the Richland One Above the
Influence Youth Clubs will help spread the messages to their
schools and communities about staying above the influence of
drugs, alcohol and other negative pressures.
Eau Claire High School Youth Club
ATI artwork by Eau Claire High School Youth Club
Heyward Excel Academy Youth Club
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In spring 2012, the Richland One Community Coalition (ROCC) announced its first mini
grant application for middle and high school youth groups, youth-serving organizations
and groups/organizations that serve Richland One. The purpose of the mini grants is to
encourage positive influences and recognize that Richland One youth can make a difference in their communities.
Submissions included projects that require youth involvement and a focus on reducing substance abuse in the
Richland One community. Grant recipients were awarded $500.00 to complete their proposed projects.
Mini Grants
Congratulations to the 2012 ROCC Mini Grant Recipients
A. C. Flora High School – “A. C. Flora Student Government”
Project: Clubs Against Substance Abuse (CASA): CASA is a project that challenges all clubs at the school to
participate in a friendly annual video competition to promote the importance of reducing substance abuse.
Pro-social posters will be hung around campus and a webpage will be created for video submissions. Videos will
also be posted to the internet. The winning club will be awarded the “Top Club Against Substance Abuse” trophy.
Advisor: Vondre Whaley
Eau Claire High School- “Above the Influence Youth Club”
Project: Above the Influence Project will expand the activities students started in Spring 2012. Students will continue to meet twice a month and facilitate meetings and discussions with students,
parents and community members about alcohol, tobacco and drug use. Advisor: Lina Wehbi
W. G. Sanders Middle School – “The ABC Group”
Project: “No Way Campaign”: Kickoff will start in collaboration with Red Ribbon Week and
consist of monthly workshops, creation of school wide newsletters, posters, pledges and stickers. Posters,
pledges and stickers will be displayed in the 6th grade hallways. Students will also provide information to
incoming students from feeder school, Burton Pack Elementary. Advisor: Charmaine Primus
Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention
awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. This year it
was recognized October 23-31, 2012. Felicia Brown, ROCC Coordinator and Javana
Lovett, ROCC Health Specialist, conducted the “Emerging Drug Trends” interactive
presentation to 7th grade students at Heyward Gibbes Middle School. Students were
informed of the dangers of alcohol and other drugs as well as their side effects. The
session ended with a drug trivia and prizes.
A. C. Flora High School,
Richland County Sheriff’s Department
and ROCC hosts
Community Forum on Drug and Alcohol Abuse
A.C. Flora High School Improvement Council sponsored a community forum on November 15. The
community forum is an awareness program for parents, guardians and community members and is designed
to provide important information about strategies to help young people in our community avoid problems
associated with drug and alcohol abuse. Felicia Brown, ROCC Coordinator, served as a panelist and discussed
ROCC’s youth prevention efforts and the Above the Influence Youth Clubs.
Page 3
TIPS THAT TEACH
Parents: YOU Matter
Here are important tips, resources and information you can use to give your
children happy, healthy and safe futures, and help them avoid the dangers of
drugs and alcohol.
COMMUNICATE
1. Clearly communicate the risks of alcohol and drug use.
2. Let your child know you disapprove of any drinking or drug use.
3. Use teachable moments to talk about drinking and using drugs.
4. Frequently talk and listen to your children about how things are going in
their lives.
MONITOR
1. Know WHO your child is with.
2. Know WHAT they’re doing.
3. Know WHERE your child will be.
4. Know WHEN your child is expected home.
5. Know who your teen’s friends are – communicate with their parents .
6. Establish and enforce rules – including a clear “no use” policy.
SPOT ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE
Here are five changes to watch for…
1. Declining school work and grades.
2. Abrupt changes in friends, groups or behavior.
3. Sleeping habits and abnormal health issues.
4. Deteriorating relationships with family.
5. Less openness and honesty.
You Can
Make A
Difference!
There is a place for you on
the ROCC, and ROCC
Needs You! If you would
like to make a difference in
Richland One by
joining us, or receiving
information, please contact
Felicia Brown at
(803) 231-6909
or via email
fbrown@richlandone.org
Happy Holidays
from
ROCC!
Information received from: THE PARTNERSHIP AT DRUGFREE.ORG
Calling Richland One Teens!
ROCC is actively seeking teens to come to the table and participate. We
need that unique perspective that only teens can give. If you are a Richland
One teen, or know one who may be interested in becoming a part of this vital
community group, please contact us. We will work with students' schools to
help them receive valuable community service hours for ROCC participation!
@RichlandOneCC
Lyon Street Student Services Center
1310 Lyon Street
Columbia, SC 29204
P: 803.231.6909 F: 803.231.6911
www.facebook.com/richlandonecc
www.richlandonecc.org
ROCC is proud to assist Richland County School District One with its mission to prepare every student to be a
successful, contributing citizen in a global society by providing an effective and high quality education.