Alternative Education Center in Odessa, TX, joined the nation's Red Ribbon Week celebration on October 28-30, 2020 with the theme, "Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug-Free." Aside from dressing up for the week's spirit days, AEC students and teachers competed in a poster and essay contest, connecting the Red Ribbon Week celebration with the global sustainable development goals (SDGs). Participants' posters depicted the theme of the celebration and an SDG of choice. Their essays explained how their posters related to the SDG they had chosen. The deliberate connection between the celebration and SDG was one of the school's global education initiatives to help students raise awareness not only of drug-abuse prevention but also of the UN-identified global goals.
Red Ribbon Week is the largest drug-abuse prevention campaign in the nation. With various themes focusing on drug-abuse prevention, the campaign has been celebrated annually since 1985. Youth's challenges might have changed since then, but the campaign's mission remains the same: support families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug-free youth. This year's theme, "Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug-Free." helps amplify the campaign's mission, encouraging children, families, and communities to live healthy, happy, and drug-free lives. It also serves as a reminder that we are all empowered to shape our communities through positivity, bravery, and strength.
