Take Action in Secondary Schools
SECTION I:
Understanding Take Action in Secondary Schools
What is Take Action in Secondary Schools?
What will I find?
- Background information
- Curriculum related education resources
- Linkages to community organizations
Background philosophy:
Ophea's Take Action initiative provides a foundation of support for students to make healthy lifestyle choices and develop problem-solving and decision- making skills throughout their education.
Young people benefit most from a positive school culture that brings out the best in students. Everyone has an important role to play in creating and maintaining the school environment including board members, teachers, other school staff, public health, police, parent councils, and parents.
In recognition of this shared responsibility, Take Action in Secondary Schools focuses on the comprehensive school health approach and school-based health promotion for secondary school students.
Purpose:
Take Action in Secondary Schools assists in the development of a healthy and supportive school community environment by:
- Providing a framework for schools to establish a comprehensive approach to substance use and abuse representative of their unique and diverse needs
- Assisting schools in setting priorities to address substance use and abuse
- Enhancing the minimum Health and Physical Education curriculum requirements and strategies available to address substance use and related behaviours
Description:
Take Action in Secondary Schools is best described as a collection of links to a variety of programs, activities, and services.
This resource provides information to connect your school with supports that are available in the areas of curriculum and instruction, policies and guidelines, and to link your school with available community programs, resources, and services.
Take Action in Secondary Schools has been designed to build upon the capacity of educators and other members of the school community (e.g., administrators, public health professionals, parents, police etc.) to better understand and address substance use and abuse at the secondary school level.
This educator's guide is an enhancement to the minimum Health and Physical Education curriculum requirements and to the strategies available to educators addressing substance use within their school setting (i.e., prior to a final course of action or conflict resolution such as student suspension or legal action).
Take Action Overview
Ophea's Take Action initiative supports a comprehensive school health approach. The addition of Take Action in Secondary Schools: An Educator's Guide to Substance Use Prevention, completes the Take Action series which includes: Kindergarten, Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6 and Grades 7 & 8 resources available in English and French.
Take Action in Secondary Schools will increase the confidence of educators and other members of the school community engaged in activities to address and prevent student substance use and abuse by providing "need to know" information, necessary tools, best practices, and key messages.
This resource includes:
- Background information on a variety of topics related to substance use and abuse
- A collection of curriculum and related educational resources
- Suggestions for activities that can be used in educational settings and the broader school community
- Links and contact information for community organizations and resources
This is not a comprehensive manual covering all of the varied topics relating to substance use and abuse, nor does it provide lesson plans for students.
Those seeking more in-depth information on any subject may locate this information through the various organizations and services listed in Programs and Services. This resource is not intended to be a cover-to-cover read, but rather a reference guide that will be accessed by school staff, public health and community partners.
