Christine Shekell
I am an AACPS: Employee
This story isn’t really just one specific memory–it’s an entire year’s worth of memories all rolled into one. This was my first year running the Keep A Clear Mind drug education program (similar to D.A.R.E., for those of you that remember it) and, though it involved some learning curves, it was hugely satisfying to administer the program. I was asked to take this on despite being relatively new to the Health & Physical Education (HPED) team, the Keep A Clear Mind program, and the Anne Arundel County Public School system as a whole. I felt honored to have been approached to do so, and was ready to take on the challenge with gusto.
This year we had 24 schools, 72 teachers, and almost 1900 students participate, and it was one of our best years on record for participation and data collection. Not only were we able to complete our reports earlier than expected, but we were also able to supply our classrooms with some really wonderful materials as part of the incentives offered. Students were sent home with healthy snack cookbooks, newsletters for how to stay healthy and active over the summer, and reminders on how to avoid peer pressure, say no, and make healthy choices. Teachers were given games, books, and supplies that they can use in their classroom this year and for years to come. The feedback we got was really exciting as well, and it brought a smile to the HPED team’s face to know we were changing classrooms and lives with what we were doing.
It was really gratifying to hear and see the effects of what we did this year, and I can’t wait to see what the success with this program will mean for upcoming projects.
