Johnstown, PA (Sept. 13, 2016) –The Learning Lamp will introduce a new outcomes-driven, science-based prescription opioids/heroin prevention education program for teens in Cambria and Somerset counties in October. The This is (Not) About Drugs program is geared to students in grades 9-12 and aims to close a critical gap in the region’s prevention education with regard to opioids and the brain science of addiction. The seed money to launch the pilot program came from grants from Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and Lee Initiatives.
“Our Distribution Committee looks at this grant as an investment into the well-being of our community for generations to come,” said Angie Berzonski, the Foundation’s program and communications officer. “School districts are asking for this type of program because they understand that heroin addiction doesn’t typically start until people enter their early 20s, but prevention strategies must begin when kids are in their teens. It is also important that this program is research-based, so it is being monitored and tweaked with the goal of eventually being an evidence-based program that can serve on a much larger scale.”
Community Foundation awarded The Learning Lamp a grant of $7,000, and Lee Initiatives followed suit with a contribution of $5,000. “We are happy to make this investment to hopefully secure a brighter future for our young people,” said John Reed, executive director of Lee Initiatives. “The Learning Lamp has proven it can make a positive impact on young lives.”
The Learning Lamp began researching the availability of a tested, results-driven heroin prevention curriculum two years ago after being approached by high school administrators seeking heroin-specific prevention education for their students.
“At the time, there was virtually nothing out there that had been tested for results or effectiveness,” explained Lisa Stofko, prevention programs manager for The Learning Lamp. “After reviewing a handful of options, This is (Not) About Drugs emerged as the most promising, both in terms of impact on students and sustainability for the future.”
The curriculum from Overdose Lifeline, Inc. is already approved in the state of Indiana and is currently under review by the PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. A university-led research study on the long-term effects of the program is scheduled for January 2017. This is (Not) About Drugs was developed by a mother and health education professional who lost her son to heroin. The video-based program features youths in recovery and others who lost family members. It also explains clearly how misuse of opioids rewires the brain and why it can lead directly to heroin use. Students at Shade-Central City High School in Cairnbrook and Central Cambria High School in Ebensburg will be the first groups in each county to receive the program.
“These drugs simply do not discriminate,” said Randy Wilson, high school guidance counselor at Central Cambria. “It doesn’t matter where you live, who you know or how diligent parents are, these drugs are out there and readily accessible to our students. We can’t do enough to help our students fight this epidemic.”
At a time when overdoses from heroin and synthetic opioids are an almost daily occurrence in the Cambria-Somerset region, The Learning Lamp is actually struggling to fully fund its prescription opioids/heroin prevention education initiative. Seed money from Community Foundation and Lee Initiatives purchased the site licenses for the curriculum, trained staff and will cover a portion of program delivery, but additional funding is needed to reach students in every high school that requests the program in the two-county area.
“Our initial plan was to devote about 20 hours a week to opioids/heroin prevention, but we are still about $15,000 short of making that happen,” explained Leah Spangler, CEO of The Learning Lamp. “In the interim, we trained existing staff to deliver the curriculum in between their other program responsibilities. We believe this project is too important to put on hold until all of the funding is in place.”
In 2014, six people in Cambria County died from heroin overdoses. So far in 2016, the number is 24—more heroin-related deaths than in all of 2015, and there are still four months to go. Last month, The Learning Lamp reached out to key business leaders in the two-county area in hopes of generating matching funds for its opioids/heroin project. It also has a grant application pending before the PA Office of Attorney General. For more information about the This is (Not) About Drugs program, click here or call Lisa at 814-262-0732 ext. 249.
The Learning Lamp is a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage all children in the support they need to succeed. We deliver high quality programs that are affordable and accessible to families of all income levels. The Learning Lamp served 30,711 children from 57 school districts and 53 non-public and private schools and other organizations in 17 Pennsylvania counties and one county in Maryland in 2015.
Our programs include: one-to-one tutoring; before/after school programs; portable classrooms aimed at building math and science skills; alternative education programs for at-risk students; evidence-based prevention programs; online learning and credit recovery; SAT preparation; educationally-focused child care; literacy-based preschool programs; and grant writing and project consulting for schools.
@thelearninglamp:Ready to make a positive impact in the classroom? Ignite Education Solutions is hiring a part-time Substitute Personal Care Aide to work in the Greater Johnstown Area School District. Benefits include training and development opportunities and more! When school is off, you're off! Candidates must have a high school diploma and the ability to pass clearances. Apply online today at http://tiny.cc/4v3avz
#igniteeducationsolutions #JobOpening #jobs #jobopportunities #johnstownpa
