Tenth grade students in Clairemont High School’s Health and Medical Pathway are educating their peers, students at other schools, and community members at large on substance abuse through their project “From Sugar to Heroin: Substance Use in Our Community”. In this project, students address the problem of substance abuse by partnering with SAY San Diego to research legal and illicit substances for the purpose of informing the community about abuse prevention.
Throughout the semester these students have worked in teams to learn about a specific substance that is abused. They’ve done research, written papers, and are finally getting a chance to present to the community the social, economic, and cultural impact of these substances.
At PoPPCon 2019, in preparation for their Town Hall meeting with their Community Partner, SAY San Diego, students shared their learning with educators from all over the United States. What did the students have to say? One group of students cautioned that Fentanyl is one of the deadliest drugs around and it has been showing up mixed with other drugs. Another group highlighted deaths of celebrities that have been caused by the depressive effects of Xanax on the nervous system. One student said that this project has allowed her to educate her friends and prevent them from making choices that could severely impact their health and well-being. In hearing students passionately speak about substance abuse, it was evident that they are especially invested in their learning because of the opportunity to have an impact beyond their classroom.
