One of the best ways you can support Rise Above Colorado is to advocate that your middle or high school utilize Rise Above’s educational resources. The Meth Prevention Lesson and Not Prescribed lesson support substance abuse prevention curricula and can be easily integrated into other courses. These resources add meaningful and relevant curricula that provide teens with the science and the stories to understand the risks of misusing drugs. They additionally provide the tools and resources to manage their own health, as well as advocate for their peers’. (For more details and to access them for free, see our Educator Resources page by clicking here.)
With the immense pressures teens face today, some teens will feel overwhelmed and have a hard time rising above stress and negative influences. In order to truly prevent the seemingly countless stories of suicide, addiction and overdoses among teens, communities must demand that all Colorado students are empowered with the knowledge and tools to manage their own mental and behavioral health.
Students deserve to engage with questions and concerns that matter to them; and now more than ever with the legalization of marijuana, Colorado teens are eager to learn and practice tools to manage their behavioral health - social, emotional, and mental health- as well as prevent substance misuse and addiction. Unfortunately, most Colorado teens receive limited health education despite the adoption of state standards for P-12 comprehensive health education in 2009.
Rise Above aims to support all educators (including but not limited to health educators and counselors) in utilizing relevant stories and experiences from teens to connect their lives and their learning of 21st century skills to dig into problems and situations that matter to them right now - their behavioral health. Join us in advocating for high quality, relevant health education for all Colorado teens and share our educational resources to support educators in creating these conversations in schools.
For more information on how to advocate for health education in your community, please see the Colorado Education Initiative's advocacy resources or email info@riseaboveco.org
Rise Above’s Teen Action Council seeks youth applicants from around the state each year. Watch our website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about the application when it is released each spring. Encourage your local youth leaders to apply for this statewide opportunity!