SADD Chapter Spotlight:
Geff Grade School
Geff Grade School SADD Chapter / Geff, Illinois received the 2007 Outstanding School-Based Prevention Program Award from the Illinois Drug Education Alliance organization (IDEA). Geff Grade School SADD Chapter was recognized at IDEA’s 25th Annual Prevention Awards Banquet held at the Crowne Plaza, in Springfield, IL on November 17, 2007.
Each year IDEA recognizes individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts in the field of substance abuse prevention. IDEA is a statewide volunteer organization dedicated to the goal of drug-free youth and communities in Illinois. IDEA held its 25th Annual Prevention Conference with over 950 youth and adults attending. The Awards Banquet was held prior to the Conference.
Geff Grade School SADD Chapter came up with a great idea to promote the "Look at Me, I'm Drug Free" theme for Red Ribbon week this year. 
They held a school wide assembly called "Freeze Frame - Live Snap Shots" The SADD Officer team went to each grade, K thru 8 and promoted the program informing students to think about what made them who they are and what they had in their lives that helped to keep them drug free and out of trouble. They worked with the elected SADD representative in each grade to promote the activity. The students made a big frame for their peers to pose in for the individual and group "freeze frames". Pretty much the entire school participated including the teachers. Photos were taken and put on the SADD bulletin board and the local press showed up to take actual pictures of the live snapshots.
The officer team was very pleased with the way things turned out. The school's principal Mrs. Pond was very supportive and even brought in props to help promote the effort. This SADD chapter got the attention of their entire enrollment and even had parents come to see the live snapshots that portrayed students playing sports, cheering on their team, playing video games, riding horses, playing with toys and just hanging with friends.
Students would pose for the live snapshots and then change position when the curtain closed. Each time the curtain on stage opened a new live snap shot was in position to receive the cheers from the crowd. It was huge success and got the students to realize that living a drug free life is not just a once a year decision and that they need positive things in their lives to help us in that choice.
We congratulate Geff Grade School SADD Chapter for their efforts in helping the youth and community of Geff remain drug-free and for receiving this statewide prevention award.
For more information about IDEA, see www.bestofidea.com