No “Kid”ding . . . Did You Know? // The Impact of Drugs and Alcohol on Academic Success

Alternatives for Youth has been dedicated to helping youth succeed for our entire history. Recently, we have begun shifting our programs from direct education services to services that support students in their education. One of these programs is iThrive. Experience working with youth and information from those working in schools reveals that substance abuse is having a profound negative impact on our community’s youth’s educational success. This experience is backed up by eye-opening research. Did you know . . .

- According to the results of the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 4 in 10 Boulder County high school students drink and have ever tried marijuana.

- Drug and alcohol abuse by teens can disrupt brain function in areas critical to learning, memory, judgment, motivation, and behavior control.

- The teen brain is still developing and more sensitive to the addictive properties of alcohol, and other drugs. As a result, these substances physically alter the teen brain structure and function more intensely and faster than in adults. This interferes with brain development, impairs judgment, and heightens the risk of addiction.

- Earlier initiation of substance abuse leads to greater likelihood of substance dependence, brain damage and academic failure.

- Marijuana impairs short-term memory and learning, ability to focus attention, and coordination.

- Alcohol can damage the brain, with the cerebral cortex (largely responsible for our higher brain functions, including problem solving and decision making), the hippocampus (important for memory and learning), and the cerebellum (important for movement coordination) being especially vulnerable.

- Such physical damage to a teen’s brain interferes with student academic performance.

- Teenage use of alcohol and/or drugs interferes with all indicators of school success – attendance, academic performance, promotion and graduation, and achievement on standardized tests including college entrance exams.

- Substance use places teens at greater risk of:

• Dropping out, suspension and expulsion. High school students who use alcohol or drugs frequently are up to five times likelier to drop out of school. Students who use marijuana before the age of 15 are three times more likely to drop out of school before age 16.
• Academic failure. The more a student uses alcohol and drugs, the lower his/her grade point average is likely to be.
• Truancy. Heavy and binge drinkers between the ages of 12 and 17 are more than four times likelier to say they cut classes or skip school. Students who use marijuana before the age of 15 are twice as likely to be frequent truants and those who use marijuana weekly are almost six times likelier to cut class or skip school as those who do not (60 percent vs. 11 percent).
• Problem behaviors and disciplinary problems in the classroom.
• Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety disorders, conduct disorders and eating disorders that can further interfere with a student’s ability to concentrate in school and increases the likelihood of disruptive behavior.

As research shows over and over again, teens who use alcohol and other drugs are at great risk of harming their brains and ability to learn and at great risk of experiencing academic problems. We offer iThrive as an intervention program to help stop a teens downward spiral into heavier substance abuse and even addiction. For more information and resources, check out these links:

Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Colorado State University Extension

Adolescent Substance Use: America’s #1 Public Health Problem

Alternatives for Youth’s iThrive

Boulder County Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction

Malignant Neglect: Substance Abuse and America’s Schools

The Partnership at Drugfree.org

The TEDS Report: Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Aged 12 to 14

Note: The above is provided as information and does not indicate an endorsement by Alternatives for Youth of the listed websites. You can find a collection of No “Kid”ding . . . Did You Know? articles on our website by clicking here or on our Youth Matters blog under the No “Kid”ding . . . category.

February 2012 AFY // FYI

As our programs continue this month, our administrative staff is also working on some special projects. Along with the energy efficiency projects detailed above, our Executive Director, Deb Roberts, and Resource Development Director, Alexa Van Dalsem, is continuing work with Sarah Fischler of Mission Spark under a technical assistance grant from the Denver Foundation, focusing on improving our fund development activities. Through this work, we plan to broaden our base of financial support for our work with youth. This month, our work with youth, includes the following:

NorthStar classes continued at Heritage and Longs Peak Middle Schools, Clearview Educational Center, and Silver Creek High School. In each group, through the use of the Girls Circle, we are seeing girls changing and finding the support they need to make healthy choices, improve their decision making skills, and develop positive relationships.

Our Attendance Advocate staff  are continuing to work with truant students and their parents at Altona, Coal Ridge, Longs Peak and Trail Ridge Middle Schools and Frederick, Longmont, Silver Creek and Skyline High Schools along with the students. Through their work with 350 students and 375 parents in fall 2011, Advocates helped 63% of the students improve attendance by at least 10% and 77% of students improve by 5-10% or more.

Clearview Educational Center is continuing to provide a program for expelled middle and high school students from the St. Vrain Valley School District. 17 students are currently enrolled and taking English, math, science, social studies and art classes, working on PLATO academic software, and participating in group counseling. The hard working staff continues to find creative ways to keep the students who range in grade from fifth to tenth grade engaged and learning.

iThrive began a new eight-week session on February 13 with 10 families, offering an early intervention program for teens struggling with alcohol and drugs and for their parents.  During the first two weeks, teens and parents will have individual counseling sessions and will then begin six weeks of group work. One of the meetings will be dedicated to a presentation on the chemical effects of alcohol and drugs. While we were able to accommodate 10 families in the current session, we have three families on the waiting list and are currently evaluating how to offer concurrent sessions to accommodate demand for the program. For more information about iThrive and upcoming sessions, visit iThrive’s webpage at www.thrivingteens.org.

AFY staff continues to support Parents Involved in Education (PIE) meetings, held in collaboration with other area organizations with the goal of helping parents increase involvement in their child’s education. PIE’s February 15 meeting presented a “Love and Logic Taster.” The March 7 meeting will focus on “The Power of Parents.” Meetings are free, held at Northridge Elementary School from 5:45-8:00 p.m. and include childcare, light dinner and Spanish translation. A complete list of meeting dates and topics are available on our Calendar of Events.

Energy Efficiency Upgrades at AFY

Alternatives for Youth was recently awarded two grants to improve our buildings energy efficiency. While these changes help the environment, we are especially excited about grants because the changes help us to dedicate more of our financial resources to directly serving youth and families in the St. Vrain Valley. The two grants, detailed below, are both helping to improve the heating and cooling of our building.

A City of Longmont’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) awarded AFY $12,340 to replace our 22 year old 10 SEER 80% efficient roof top cooling and heating units with new 90% efficient 14 SEER Trane units. The new, more energy efficient units will help us to reduce costs year round on cooling and heating our building, providing an estimated $400 per year in energy savings. The EECBG is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Through a City of Longmont Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), we received funding to replace windows in our building. Our old windows were not only not energy efficient, but some of them did not even close and open properly. The new windows, scheduled to be replaced this summer, will help to weatherize our building and decrease the demand on our heating and cooling unites. The Longmont Housing and Human Services Advisory Board oversees the CDBG program, which funds, among other things, projects and activities that benefit low and moderate income people.

We are grateful for these grants and the ability to make needed upgrades to our building. The savings on running our building go directly into running our programs.

No “Kid”ding . . . Did You Know? // Assets Impact Youths’ Lives

In our prevention work, we often discuss risk and protective factors for our youth – those life factors that put youth at risk for risky behavior and those life factors that help youth stay away from risky behavior. Some of the best researched protective factors are the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets. Did you know . . .

- Studies of more than 2.2 million United States young people consistently show that the more assets young people have, the less likely they are to engage in a wide range of high-risk behaviors  and the more likely they are to thrive.

- Protective factors are effective for all young people, regardless of their gender, economic status, family, or race/ethnicity.

- Levels of developmental assets are better predictors of high-risk involvement (including problem alcohol use, violence, and school problems) and thriving than poverty or being from a single-parent family.

- The average young person experiences less than half of the 40 Developmental Assets he or she needs, and boys experience fewer than girls.

- Protective factors include positive relationships such as family support, positive family communication, other adult relationships, community valuing youth, and positive peer influence.

- Parents and adults who work with young people, can provide protective factors and developmental assets to young people. You can:

• Tell your kids you love them every day, even big kids.
• Give your kids a hug.
• Take the time to find out what interests your child or a child in your life, including music, TV shows, books, hobbies, video games, sports, and shopping.
• Go to a youth’s game or competition.
• Know how your child is doing in school, attending school meetings, checking grades and attendance, and going to parent/teacher conferences.
• Have fun together! Go on a hike, bake, visit a local attraction, take a road trip, watch a movie together. Take your cue about what to do from the young person.
• Be a young person’s mentor or help a young person find a mentor.
• Schedule regular time with your child or a young person in your life.
• Have meals together.
• Celebrate birthdays, sending cards, e-mail messages or posting Facebook messages on their birthday.
• Be there no matter what.

As a parent or adult in a young person’s life, you can make a big difference in his or her success and contribute to their assets.  For more information and resources, check out these links:

Search Institutes 40 Developmental Assets
150 Ways to Show Kids You Care
Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Violence
Top 60 Ways to Show Kids You Care

Note: The above is provided as information and does not indicate an endorsement by Alternatives for Youth of the listed websites. You can find a collection of No “Kid”ding . . . Did You Know? articles on our website by clicking here.

January 2012 AFY // FYI

With school back in session after the holiday break, our program staff hit the new semester running, providing robust programming to youth across the St. Vrain Valley School District. Following are updates about our new year activities:

This month, NorthStar classes resumed at Heritage Middle School with 12 girls and new classes began at Longs Peak Middle School and at our Clearview Educational Center. Later this term, classes will also begin at Silver Creek High School and a new group will begin at Heritage. We are excited to see this program expanding and to be bringing the Girls Circle curriculum to more girls, helping them with making healthy choices, decision making, body image, and developing positive relationships.

Our Attendance Advocate staff returned to Altona, Coal Ridge, Longs Peak and Trail Ridge Middle Schools and Frederick, Longmont, Silver Creek and Skyline High Schools along with the students. They will continue their work with students and parents to improve student attendance. In fall 2011, Advocates impacted the lives of 350 students and 375 parents!

Clearview Educational Center began the semester with 14 students in grades 5-10. Two new students began at Clearview in January. Clearview began a new schedule with new staff members  this month. Michael Behmer is continuing in his role as program director and counselor. Elizabeth Owen joined the staff as administrator and arts and social studies teacher. Cody Kuehl, also new to the staff, is teaching math and science classes. Sarah Perry continues as the English teacher.

iThrive continues to support teens struggling with substance abuse and their parents. The current session will continue for two more meetings. On January 30, 6:00-7:45, parents and any interested adults are invited to attend a “Chemical Effects of Drugs” presentation by retired chemistry professor, Dr. Bob Hurtubise, on the effects of different drugs on the body. The evening promises to be interesting and eye opening. Families interested in joining the next session of iThrive beginning the week of February 13 can call Deb Roberts at 303-776-8184 to register. For more information, visit iThrive’s webpage at www.thrivingteens.org.

In addition to our programs, AFY staff are involved in community-wide collaborative efforts. Our staff continues to support Parents Involved in Education (PIE) meetings, held in collaboration with other area organizations with the goal of helping parents increase involvement in their child’s education. PIE meetings resumed on January 18 with a meeting focused on “Financial Fitness.” The February 1 meeting will be “Living and Succeeding in the USA.” Meetings are free, held at Northridge Elementary School from 5:45-8:00 p.m.  and include childcare, light dinner and Spanish translation. A complete list of meeting dates and topics are available on our Calendar of Events.

Looking Forward in 2012

As we begin 2012, we at Alternatives for Youth have many plans for our programs. While some of these changes are difficult, we are also excited about the new opportunities. In 2012, our programs will change and grow as follows: Attendance Advocates. Advocates will continue their work at nine schools through the school year. The grant funding this program ends this year; however, the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) is making efforts to continue the program as a district program. NorthStar. NorthStar will continue to work with groups of middle and high school students using the Girls Circle curriculum. In January, NorthStar will continue a class at Heritage Middle School and begin classes at Longs Peak Middle School, Silver Creek High School, and Clearview Educational Center. We plan to continue to offer NorthStar at more schools. Summer Program. We are excited that funding will allow us to continue the Summer Program this year, and we plan to continue it into the future. We are looking at ways of growing the program, including growing the leadership and life skills training. Clearview Educational Center. As we have shared, Clearview will end at the end of this school year. We are continuing a robust program until then, and will be so sad to see this program end in May 2012. The SVVSD will be offering services for expelled students in fall 2012. iThrive. We are currently offering our fourth session of iThrive and are encouraged by the response to this new program as well as the changes youth and their parents are experiencing. In 2012, we will continue iThrive and expand services to help youth struggling with substance abuse and to support their parents.Thank you to everyone who continues to support AFY and the work we do with youth! We look forward to sharing our progress and changes in the lives of youth throughout the year.