Addiction Education Society

Program 1: neuroscience of Addiction & how did this happen to me? Programs: neuroscience of Addiction curriculum is a classroom-based six-session designed to help youth to understand the fundamentals of how all addictive drugs affect the pleasure centers of the brain, how the disease of Addiction develops, risk factors, who is most likely to get it, and why. How did this happen to me is a classroom-based three-session alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention program aimed at middle schools, presented from the personal perspective of an addict. Learning objectives for both programs below: explain why some people get addicted and others dont. Learn the latest scientific discoveries about Addiction & brain development. Learn about the two major kinds of risk factors: genetic and environmental. Explain why the early use of substances is such a strong risk factor. Describe why it is important to pursue meaningful & healthy activities. Reflect on their experience of craving during their craving experiment. Our educational platform offers interactive programs for students mentioned above. The platform provides a mix of video content, quizzes, and other interactive activities to engage students in learning. The ability for absent students to access the program remotely is a great feature, as it ensures they don't fall behind even if they can't physically attend class. Student data entered information is saved and downloaded at end of each session to their desktop for submission to for class credit to their teacher. Additionally, the option for teachers to assign additional assignments like case studies, experiments, and interviews adds depth to the learning experience and allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the material. Aes programs prioritize feedback from both teachers and students. This collaborative approach ensures that the platform continues to meet the evolving needs of its users. For teachers, updating the students' progress dashboard and refining functionalities like removing waiting rooms and adjusting lock/unlock features can enhance the overall user experience and streamline classroom management. This allows teachers to focus more on teaching rather than managing technical aspects. Regarding student input, improving validation questions ensures that assessments accurately gauge understanding, while removing slider access on videos might minimize distractions and help students stay focused on the content. Providing additional resources and updating outdated videos demonstrates a commitment to offering high-quality educational materials and ensuring that students have access to the most relevant information. By incorporating feedback from both teachers and students, aes programs can continue to evolve and remain effective tools for facilitating learning in the classroom and beyond. -new modules developed: fentanyl and gateway to recovery: the addition of our new modules addressing the current environmental climate, such as "fentanyl- and "gateway to recovery," demonstrates a proactive approach to addressing relevant issues affecting students' lives. The "fentanyl" module provides crucial Education about the dangers and risks associated with this potent synthetic opioid, helping students understand its effects, signs of overdose, and how to avoid it. Meanwhile, the "gateway to recovery" module focuses on resources and strategies for individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders, offering guidance on seeking help and beginning the journey to recovery. We developed student question worksheets to accompany these programs is an effective way to ensure that students engage deeply with the material. These worksheets can reinforce key concepts, prompt critical thinking, and facilitate meaningful discussions about the topics covered in the modules. Overall, these new modules and accompanying worksheets reflect a commitment to providing comprehensive Education that equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate complex issues in their lives and communities.

Program 3: fundraising activities: donor systems, grant tracking & annual golf tourney event aes implementing donorperfect software is a significant step towards efficiently managing donor and grant information. With this software, we are streamlining the process of tracking grants, managing donor relationships, and acknowledging contributions. This encompasses: 1. Research grant databases: these databases provide comprehensive listings of grants offered by corporations, foundations, and government agencies 2. Corporate giving programs: researched and aligned corporate giving programs such as franklin templeton and other companies with our organization's objectives. 3. Foundation websites: identified websites of foundations that support causes similar to aes. 4. Networking and partnerships: continue to build relationships with corporate representatives, foundation program officers, and other nonprofit organizations in our field of interest by attending networking events, conferences, and workshops. 5. Local community foundations: identified grant opportunities offered by community foundations in our serving area. 6. Grant writing workshops and resources: staff has participated in professional development opportunities involved in grant writing and fundraising workshops. By leveraging donorperfect software and conducting thorough research on grant opportunities, aes has effectively identified and pursue funding opportunities from various resources. -implemented 1st annual golf tourney fundraiser in honor of our founder chuck johnson: our 1st annual golf tournament served as a fitting tribute to aes founder chuck johnson while also raising vital funds to support aes programs. The event's success underscores the strong community support and the organization's ability to mobilize resources for a worthy cause. Here's a breakdown of the highlights: 1. Event location: half moon bay golf links provided a picturesque and prestigious venue for the tournament, enhancing the overall experience for participants. 2. Sold-out event: the fact that the tournament was sold out speaks to the enthusiasm and support from the community for aes programs and the memory of chuck johnson. 3. Supporting aes programs: all proceeds from the tournament going towards aes programs. 4. Exceptional committee and sponsors: the outstanding golf committee and sponsors played a pivotal role in the success of the event, providing crucial support and resources to make it a memorable occasion. 5. In-kind donors and auction items: the contributions from in-kind donors and auction items added excitement to the event and helped raise additional funds. 6. Active participation: with 144 golfers participating, the tournament attracted a significant number of individuals eager to support the cause and enjoy a day of golf. 7. Professional clinics and challenges: offering professional clinics and par 3 hole-in-one challenges added value to the event and provided opportunities for participants to enhance their skills and compete in friendly competitions. 8. Volunteer support: the 21 dedicated outstanding volunteers contributed to the smooth execution of the tournament and ensured that participants had a memorable experience. 9. Program banquet: the banquet held post-tournament provided a platform to honor chuck johnson's legacy, recognizing his vision and passion for Education. The video segments and impact summary report shared by aes executive directors added depth to the tribute and highlighted the tangible outcomes of aes programs.

Program 2: piloting a new program: should susan drink? Background: v.1 should susan drink? Is a video-based learning experience for high school students. It addresses the probability of susan becoming addicted based on several variables. Susan is a student in high school and is looking forward to prom. She is concerned about her chances of becoming addicted since her father drinks obsessively. She decides to enlist the help of scientists at harvards mclean hospital to determine her risk factors and the likelihood of her enjoying alcohol too much and becoming addicted. Susan will decide whether she goes to prom or not based on the test results. This first video introduces two scientists at mclean hospital who explain Addiction in terms of what is occurring in the brain. -process: conducting student focus groups in various high schools to gather feedback on the new modules is an excellent approach to ensure that the content is relevant, engaging, and appropriate for teens today. By involving students directly in the pilot process, you can gather valuable insights into their preferences, interests, and needs regarding the educational material. This process will be implemented in spring 2024. The focus groups can provide a platform for students to share their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions on the content. They can discuss the relevance of the topics, their level of interest, and any areas they feel need improvement. This qualitative feedback can offer nuanced insights that may not be captured through other methods. In addition to the focus groups, developing a qualtrics survey is a practical way to gather feedback from a larger group of students. The survey can be designed to capture quantitative data on various aspects of the modules, such as perceived effectiveness, clarity of information, and overall satisfaction. It can also include open-ended questions to allow students to provide detailed feedback and suggestions. By combining focus groups and surveys, you can gather comprehensive feedback from students, ensuring that the new modules are well-received and effectively meet the needs of the target audience. This iterative approach to development, based on direct input from students, can lead to the creation of high-quality educational content that resonates with teens and positively impacts their learning experiences. To enhance the student experience, three additional videos are under considerations which will focus on: 1. Determination of genetic probability experiment, 2. Stress sesitivity experiment and 3. Brain imaging experiment