Pilot Project to Educate Students and Parents Through Community Support

The AlcoCups will be included in a pilot project in the lower Hume region of Victoria which aims at improving student and parent education and awareness regarding alcohol.  The pilot project has been developed by Pathways Salvation Army, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria (DEECD), and Victoria Police which will deliver specific alcohol training to teachers throughout 8 local secondary schools.  The training utilises the Creating Conversations program, developed by the DEECD, strengthening teachers ability to deliver alcohol and drug education throughout year levels 9-10.  Students will then plan and deliver an information evening for parents of their school, with teachers, students and parents all receiving the same message of alcohol.  Parents with students in year levels 9-12 will receive an information pack, either at the information evening or throughout the course of the year.  The information packs include the AlcoCups, resources from Beyond Blue, Australian Drug Foundation, Australian Government, Family Drug Helpline and information of local support services.  3000 packs will be sent out to parents throughout 2011,  with schools assisting in obtaining feedback and conducting surveys of the benefits of the contents used in the information packs.  For further information of this pilot project please contact Ashley Gurney of AlcoCups on 0430066531.