Let’s TALC (Teach, Access, Learn, Choice)

Project Theme: Opioid and drug addiction prevention

Target Audience and Location: Students at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, MD.

Vision: Teens have hope, support systems and healthy ways to manage stress and anxiety to prevent drug and opioid use.

Mission: Let’s TALC offers teens opportunities for healthy stress relief and to practice informed decision making about drugs and opioids in a supportive community.

Project Description: Scholar Diya Jha and educator Scholar Paige Spangler knew that they wanted to focus their efforts on raising awareness and preventing opioid and drug addiction, which is a growing issue in their community. This team knew early on they were not interested in telling teens what to do or using scare tactics.

They started to engage with their large school community on how they could create safe spaces where students could connect, enjoy healthy activities, learn information, discuss challenges they were navigating and think critically about choices they were making now and wanted to make in the future related to opioid and drug use.

Let’s TALC focuses on four key points that the team builds into each activity they host: 1) teach about the effects of drug addiction 2) provide access to positive coping strategies 3) offer space to learn from one another and educational resources and 4) enforce that students get to choose what they want to apply with what they learn. Activities include Friday nights in the school gym with games and music, therapy dog sessions, hikes, and meet up dinners at a local pizza restaurant the team has partnered with.

Watch this team's project presentation at our virtual showcase event!