RECOGNITION & AWARDS

Make Your NCAAW an Award Winner!
With the evaluation of NCAAW done, it is time to sit back and relax - right? Wrong! If you and your NCAAW committees went to all of the trouble and work to develop a comprehensive set of activities for National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week and year-round programs, you deserve a chance for some national recognition.

Each year the Task Force sponsors an awards program for those schools participating in NCAAW and year round alcohol and drug abuse prevention efforts. This competition includes not only national recognition, but cash awards as well. The best part of the deal is that if you follow the steps in this manual, much of your work is already done.

As a follow-up to your evaluation efforts, create a written report that outlines all activities and documents that were accomplished throughout the academic year. Compiled in a three-ring notebook format, this will be an extremely valuable tool for planning NCAAW the following year. Be sure to include samples of artwork, promotional materials, media coverage and evaluation summaries. This way, not only have you created a permanent record of your efforts, but you can easily show off your program to administrators, potential funders and as a recruitment tool for future committee members.

The next step is to take this information and apply for recognition.

NEW AWARD CRITERIA FOR 2002-2003

Prizes will be awarded in 2003 to the three institutions that score highest based on the review criteria listed below. The Criteria has changed this year to better reflect programs that are having an impact! Each award-winning institution will receive a $5,000 grant and a plaque commemorating this achievement. These awards will be presented in Washington DC during a Capitol Hill Reception and Press Conference. The award includes travel expenses to DC for the winners to accept their plaque and check at the press conference program. A special thanks goes to the Coors Brewing Company for sponsoring these awards on behalf of the Task Force.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Entries will be judged for their impact on year-round alcohol education programming and support for NCAAW, and significant use of the social norms approach in their prevention efforts. Please keep these two emphases in mind as you complete your NCAAW planning and activities for the 2002-2003 academic year. Also, be aware that the application documentation you submit outlining activities in the five major areas listed below cannot exceed 15 pages. You may include up to 5 pages of support materials such as photographs of events and copies of ads and articles from local and campus media. Institutions will be judged in five major areas:

1. Use of Social Norms Approach in Prevention Activities – 5 points
   In what ways did your programs utilize a social norms approach in looking at alcohol abuse prevention issues? What data did you use to design your messages? What media avenues were utilized in promoting your healthy behavior messages to the campus community? Who were the stakeholders involved in developing and implementing the social norms campaign? What was the campus reaction to these efforts? How are you collecting feedback on your social norms efforts? Was there local and campus media coverage of these activities?
   
   
2. Comprehensiveness of Year-Round Program - 5 points
   What does the overall scope of your campus prevention program look like? Does your year-round program involve prevention (education), intervention (peer counseling, mentor programs) or referral components? Are there social and interactive programs that support non-drinkers and responsible use? Are there awareness campaigns that focus attention on alcohol abuse prevention and related topics? Briefly describe each activity and the process used to motivate involvement in planning and implementation. Were the activities innovative?
   
   
3. Foundation for NCAAW Programs - 5 points
   Who was invited to participate in planning and implementing NCAAW? What was your schedule of events and levels of participation for each program? How were events publicized? Were student organizations, faculty, staff administrators, parents, alumni, and members of the local community involved in some way? Did your NCAAW program reach beyond the campus community (e.g., local high school?) What impact did your NCAAW have? Was there local and campus media coverage of your events?
   
   
4. Breadth of Participation/Collaboration - 5 points
   What year-round prevention activities became a vehicle for campus collaboration with other organizations, offices, departments, and local agencies? Because of your program efforts, did you see positive results, policy changes or changes in actual behavior patterns? Did key campus offices or leadership organizations on your campus recognize your efforts? Have your events and outreach efforts expanded the agenda to promote health and wellness issues on campus?
   
   
5. Evaluation - 5 points
   How have you evaluated your events and year-round program efforts? Did members of the university community evaluate the role of alcohol misuse in their lives? Give specific examples on how you collected information from students on your campus about making safer decisions about abusive behavior. What additional programs or information would interest participants during the rest of the year? Is this information available in summary form?

DEADLINES
Submit the application information outlined above, along with appropriate support material, by May 1, 2003 to:
National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week
c/o Dr. Herbert Songer
Vice President for Student Affairs
Fort Hays State University
600 Park St.
Hays, Kansas 67601-4099
PH: (785) 628-4277
FAX: (785) 628-4113
E-mail hsonger@fhsu.edu
Submitted applications become property of the Inter-Association Task Force on Campus Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues and will not be returned unless specific arrangements are made ahead of time.
Decisions will be made and winners notified by July 1,2003.

Items to include for contest entry:

1. Cover letter with philosophy of substance abuse prevention approach
   
2. One-page executive summary of program
   
3. Goals and objectives
   
4. Planning time line and List and description of events before, during and after NCAAW
   
5. Publicity samples (e.g., posters, ads in papers, buttons, articles, etc.)
   
6. Budget
   
7. Funding Sources
   
8. Who planned/committee
   
9. Who attended
   
10. Special publications
    
11. Photo/Videos of events
    
12. Results/program significance in short term, long term
    
13. Two letters of reference from campus and/or community officials not directly involved in your program
    
14. Miscellaneous support items

Suggested Guidelines for Designing Campus Alcohol Abuse Prevention Programs

1. Reform the Norms.
   If we continue to tell students how bad they are and that everyone is drunk on campus, they will continue to try to “fit in” to that perceived norm. We must start communicating positive, healthy norms. (This concept draws on the work of Michael Haines at Northern Illinois University and Wes Perkins at Hobart and Smith College in New York.)
   
2. Emphasize “life” skills.
   Our students heard the lecture on alcohol abuse in high school. They don’t want to hear it again. But they do want to hear about other matters pertinent to their daily lives: stress, social situations, academic success, relationships, etc. and how to cope with these, without abusive drinking.
   
3. Make personal responsibility mean something.
   We are referring to what the word “responsible” used to mean, i.e., “We are going to hold you responsible for your actions.” We don’t need new or tougher policies on most campuses we just need to follow through with and take seriously the ones we have.
   
4. Empower students.
   When we organize student leaders to take charge of their environment, they want it, own it and protect it. When something belongs to them when they have a clear stake in an issue they will be motivated to make the best of it.
   
5. Let students teach students.
   College students make decisions based on attitudes, not information. And their attitudes are formed primarily by the influence of their peers. They listen better to each other, than to us.

SOURCE: David Hellstrom, Director of Education, The BACCHUS and GAMMA Peer Education Network