Innovation in Prevention: Institutions and Organizations Receive Accolades for Excellence in Alcohol Programming
3/17/2011
University of Central Missouri and Sigma Nu Fraternity granted Highest Honors; awarded $5,000 donations
BOSTON, MA – March 17, 2011– Outside The Classroom announced this week the recipients of the 2011 Prevention Excellence Awards. Held annually, the Prevention Excellence Awards honors individuals, institutions, and Greek organizations that have achieved excellence in their alcohol prevention efforts, thus significantly improving the quality of student life.
Five institutions and two Greek organizations were recognized at an award reception in Philadelphia, PA. This year, the University of Central Missouri and Sigma Nu Fraternity were distinguished for their outstanding prevention success, receiving highest honors distinction and a $5,000 donation in the name of the team members charged with developing and implementing prevention programming. Amy Kiger, Assistant Director of University Health Services at the University of Central Missouri, and Brad Beacham, Executive Director of Sigma Nu Fraternity, accepted the awards on behalf of their institution and organization.
Prevention Excellence Award finalists include East Carolina University, Eastern Illinois University, Randolph Macon College, Sewanee—University of the South, and Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity. All applicants were evaluated on the quality of their prevention programming, including their vision for creating a healthy campus, and the degree of innovation in their work.
The Prevention Excellence Awards also recognize an outstanding alcohol and other drug professional for his or her continued commitment to the field of alcohol prevention. The recipient of the 2011 Outstanding AOD Professional Award was Kelly Parsley, Wellness Educator at Carroll College.
Award recipients demonstrated their dedication to the health and safety of their students by implementing comprehensive alcohol prevention programs on their campuses. Their efforts included a variety of strategies, including AlcoholEdu and GreekLifeEdu, primary prevention programs that incorporate evidence-based prevention methods. The recipients also implemented peer education programs, social media initiatives, and social marketing campaigns, and garnered the support of other stakeholders on campus and in the community.
“We are continually impressed with the progress being made in this field,” said Brandon Busteed, Founder and CEO of Outside The Classroom. “It is truly an honor to work with these individuals, institutions, and organizations that are leading the way in alcohol prevention on our nation’s campuses. Their outstanding work is raising the bar in how we define excellence.”
High-risk drinking continues to be one of the most significant, perennial challenges facing colleges and universities, however, in the past month, several of the nation's major news outlets – including The Wall Street Journal and USA Today – have covered the issue in a very positive and hopeful light. The recent coverage presents powerful trend data on the increasing number of students who choose not to drink and positive stories of campuses' success in offering alcohol-free social activities to support these students. These trends present a unique opportunity for campuses to shift campus culture by providing a more rigorous and engaging educational experience and bountiful alcohol-free social options that support the “silent majority” of non-drinkers and light/moderate drinkers. This year’s Prevention Excellence Awards recipients have indeed made breakthrough progress in supporting their students and are leading the way for the field.
The Prevention Excellence Awards are sponsored by Outside The Classroom, Inc., founder of The Alcohol Prevention Coalition and developer of the AlcoholEdu suite of online prevention programs. The award program is open to all higher education institutions and Greek-letter organizations in the US.
About Outside The Classroom
For nearly a decade, Outside The Classroom has been committed to strengthening the field of alcohol prevention by providing institutional leaders and their students with the information needed to develop well-informed, cost-effective strategies for reducing alcohol-related risk and preventing harm. Today, the organization’s flagship educational program, AlcoholEdu® for College, is used on over 500 campuses and by 36% of all first-year students at America’s higher education institutions. In 2008, Outside The Classroom launched The Alcohol Prevention Coalition to take on the larger scope of the work – providing institution-wide solutions to the key challenges threatening effective alcohol prevention. All of Outside The Classroom’s programs are developed under the leadership of national prevention expert William DeJong, PhD. For more information please visit www.outsidetheclassroom.com.
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