Dream Pinellas is a free program that empowers youth to lead healthy, fulfilling lives free from substance use by providing education, support, and opportunities for positive community engagement.
This is an eight-week series, with one-hour sessions held weekly, currently offered to youth ages 9 to 12. The program can also be adapted for teens up to 17 years old. The program is based on the Botvin Curriculum aimed at reducing substance use, violence and other risky behaviors among youth. Each weekly lesson focuses on key topics that support substance misuse prevention, including:
- Decision-making
- Goal setting
- The influence of advertising
- The effects of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol
- Assertiveness skills
- Coping with stress
- Pre- and post-tests assure comprehension and project effectiveness.
- Giveaways incentivize full participation.
The Need:
- Adolescent overdose deaths have increased by 109% since 2019, making overdose the third leading cause of death among adolescents. Fentanyl-laced substances are a major contributor to this rise. (CDC, 2022; MMWR, 2021)
- In Pinellas County, 14% of middle and high school students reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana. (FYSAS, 2022)
- Children exposed to parental substance use disorders (SUD) are 1.4 times more likely to develop substance use issues themselves as adults. (Young-Hunt, 2023)
For more information, please contact:
