PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey announced that his Office of Youth, Faith and Family has awarded 31 Arizona schools across six counties with funding through the High School Health and Wellness Program. The program aims to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and increase well-being.
All awarded schools participated in a competitive grant solicitation process. This financial support to Arizona’s traditional and public charter high schools is an ongoing effort by Governor Ducey to ensure our schools are equipped with the necessary resources to effectively educate and protect Arizona’s youth.
“In order to foster healthy, drug-free behaviors we must engage in early, evidence-based prevention programs,” said Governor Ducey. “The dollars provided through the High School Health and Wellness program will enable school administrators to engage in proactive measures to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and increase the well-being of Arizona’s youth
Awarded schools will implement evidence-based or evidence-informed primary prevention programs. Each school will also be given a complete primary prevention marketing toolkit to ensure every child in the school receives accurate and relevant information pertaining to alcohol and drug abuse.
“Competitive school-based prevention grants, such as this, not only support school systems but also encourage collaborative partnerships between the school and local substance abuse coalitions, non-profits and other community resources,” said Debbie Moak, Director of the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family.
Many evidence-based prevention programs taking place in schools have been shown to develop more positive school climates and student teacher relationships thereby increasing school attendance and academic performance. The Arizona High School Health and Wellness Program has been built on the understanding that school attachment and student participation in positive school activities, such as substance abuse prevention programs, help protect children against risky behavior and reduce the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.
For a full list of school and funded programs, please visit SubstanceAbuse.AZ.gov
