High school awarded SADD Chapter of the Year

Boyertown Area High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter has earned the Chapter of the Year award. They were honored at the Council on Chemical Abuse’s annual conference on October 31, 2017, where chapter adviser and BASH Spanish teacher Mrs. Sandy Beck accepted the award.

At the end of 2012, a senior student approached the principal about starting a SADD chapter. Mrs. Beck has been the club’s adviser ever since. The group has grown steadily, from 25 founding members in 2013 to the current 45 members. Three SADD members are also student representatives for the Pennsylvania Youth

Survey (PAYS) task force.

For many years, the “DD” in SADD stood for “drunk driving,” but the national organization has expanded from its’ beginning mission. SADD now focuses on peer-to-peer education and activism dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, including underage drinking, drug use, risky and impaired driving, teen violence, and teen suicide.

BASH’s SADD chapter hosts monthly programming on avoiding unhealthy behaviors and practicing healthy decision making. Some of these activities include the Addiction and Recovery Awareness walk in September and Red Ribbon Week, a national campaign that encourages students to stay away from drugs, in October.

A unique feature of the club is their use of “social norming” to change the narrative about teens and destructive behavior. “While many teens believe their peers are engaging in risky behavior, the reality is the opposite,” says chapter adviser Mrs. Beck. “We want to spread positivity.” SADD encourages all students to “be a part of the majority.”

Along with preventing unhealthy behaviors, spreading positivity is a top priority for these students. SADD’s biggest event is Bear Shout Outs, where all students are encouraged to write compliments to their classmates that are posted on a wall in the school. The students are also planning yoga and mindfulness workshops for December. They plan to become involved in more community programming.