Using
various art disciplines children and young people are informed about
drugs and dangers related to drugs use and during the process they
create multi-medial presentations which explore drugs use in different
life situations at the same time presenting alternatives to drugs use.
This educational arts approach, as a flexible learning strategy,
stimulates young people's interest to learn, express and understand the
importance of drugs awareness.
The program involves workshops, which use drama, movement, music and
visual arts. In a creative and positive environment facts about drugs
misuse and abuse, misconceptions and myths are explored and challenged
- What are drugs, how and why are they used? What is drugs misuse and
what are the effects and consequences? How are people pressured to
participate in drugs use? What strategies can we use to resist
pressure? How incidents occur and what can we do to reduce the harm?
The
objective of all workshops is to facilitate participants to analyse and
learn about drugs, develop understanding of dangers related and
awareness of emotional and social consequences. The aim is to equip
young people with attitudes and skills they need to resist pressure to
use drugs by developing their self-confidence, assertiveness and
communication skills and also raise awareness of ways for recognising
and resisting negative persuading influences.
Program
for primary school year 7 and 8 students uses drama role play,
music, visual arts and dance workshops in which students explore and
analyse projected life situations involving drugs use with an aim to
clarify definitions of drugs, drugs use, misuse and abuse and increase
their knowledge and awareness. The last day students present their
devised drama pieces, songs, dances and painted canvases within their
school for lower level students and their parents. The material
reflects their thoughts, ideas, views, fears, problems and
misconceptions.
Program
for secondary schools begins with introductory sessions as
thought provokers . After the introductory sessions students choose the
art form in which they would like to express themselves and continue
working. The material created and designed throughout the process in
drama, music, visual and dance workshops develops into a final scenario
and a multi-media performance - theatre show. The theme of the show is
based around drugs misuse, their concerns and ideas, information and
misinformation, risks, myths and stereotypes, peer pressure,
decision-making and exploration of how to avoid involvement in drugs
misusing activities.
PEER
EDUCATION as a method of learning from one another has proven
to be one of the most effective ways of passing on drugs education
messages between young people. The material created and gained from
primary schools is used as a base for the scenario which the secondary
students continue developing. The material reflecting ideas and
concerns of the primary school students is analysed by the secondary
school students incorporating their own believes and views, clarifying
misconceptions with the emphasis on recognizing their own
responsibility for decision making and promotion of rational choices
and a healthy life style. The scenario develops into a script, which is
rehearsed to be performed, therefore experientially reinforcing
awareness and commitment to challenge drugs use and abuse. The created
material communicates the group's shared concerns about drugs misuse.
The show is performed for all students of the secondary school and
students of the primary school who participated in the process. After
the performance students and the audience participate in a debrief
discussion encouraging acquisition of drugs education program. All
students participating are asked to fill out questionnaires relating to
the project objectives for evaluation purposes.
TEACHER'S
TRAINING
All primary and secondary school teachers whose classes are involved in
the peer project are required to participate in INSET sessions with the
Our World - Nas Svet Educational Art Team as a pre-requisite of their
school's participation in the program.
Teacher's
INSET schedule includes:
pre program sessions to debate classroom strategies and use of
classroom drugs education material, to increase teacher's knowledge of
factual drugs information and gain understanding of Our World's style
of working and develop confidence to support Our World team during
class sessions.
after school Teacher's debrief sessions
attendance Parent / Governors evenings relating to neighbourhood drugs
education program
proactive involvement in creating school's drug incident policies
follow-up workshops with Our World on continued strategies for creative
approaches to drug education which will reinforce the original messages
PARENT
/ SCHOOL GOVERNORS CO-EDUCATION WORKSHOPS
Each participating school will be involved in at least one evening
workshops for Parents and school Governors which involves:
role
play demonstration as an initiative for parents to openly ask questions
and comment on role play situations which show them a family incident
where parents do not know how far to go in responding to their
children's challenging questions around drugs use
a debate will follow led by Our World's team and representatives from
Health Institutions, Police, Social Services
Drug
education work packs and school's drugs prevention policies can be
created upon request.
