From Oct 23-31, 2019 Mt. Ascutney Prevention Partnership (MAPP) teamed up with Windsor School for Red Ribbon Week, an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in the United States.

Red Ribbon Week aims to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Windsor School’s kindergarten through sixth grade classes participated in activities that build self-esteem and foster a sense of community.

Such activities help youth develop “protective factors”: characteristics of individuals, families, communities, or societies that reduce risks and promote healthy development. Examples of protective factors include the ability to make friends, having a set of moral beliefs, and participation in community. Research shows that the more protective factors youth have, the less likely they will engage in risky behavior such as underage drinking or the use of marijuana and other drugs.

As part of Red Ribbon Week, Windsor School students participated in themed activities at the school, such as Monday’s “Sock it to drugs; Wear the longest socks you can find”; Tuesdays’ “Drugs are a flop: Wear Flip Flops”; and Wednesday’s “Drugs are Bad, Red is Rad: Wear Red!”

Additionally, students were encouraged to perform various activities at home and at school that ranged from helping someone without being asked, to sitting next to someone new at lunch, to turning off social media to have a face to face conversation.

Every activity earned a sticker. Teachers counted up activities in morning meeting each day between Wednesday, 10/23 and Wednesday 10/30. For every 10 stickers earned, they added another section (represented by a piece of red construction paper) to the Red Ribbon to see how long of a ribbon they could build.

Windsor School students filled 74 sheets of paper with stickers to create a “red ribbon” that stretched down the school’s hallway. [See attached photo of Windsor School’s second grade class standing beside the red ribbon they created].

Physical Education teacher, Donna Ewald, who worked with MAPP to organize Red Ribbon Week’s projects at Windsor School, says, “Students are really enjoying this project and seeing some results of helpful students, kind students, encouraging students...doing things together and helping each other out more often.”

Photo: Windsor School’s second grade class stands beside their red ribbon, which they created by participating in healthy activities during National Red Ribbon Week.