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BOSTON - August 15, 2007 - Outside The Classroom announced today that one million students have taken AlcoholEdu for College, the company's online alcohol prevention program, since it was launched in 2000. This summer and fall alone, more than 450,000 college-bound students are expected to complete the program - representing 1 in 4 college freshmen in America.
The pioneering leader in online alcohol prevention since its inception in 2000, Outside The Classroom has developed a suite of science-based prevention programs and tools that are producing dramatic results on more than 500 college and high school campuses nationwide. AlcoholEdu for College, the company's flagship product, was launched in 2000 and quickly set the standard for population-level, primary prevention. Since 2005, the number of students who take AlcoholEdu for College each year has tripled. And so far this month, more than 96,000 new students have logged in to take the program.
Now more than ever, colleges, universities, and Greek organizations are taking positive, proactive steps to address alcohol before it becomes a problem and ensure that students have the skills they need to make safe and healthy decisions about drinking. By requiring all first-year students - or new members, in the case of Greek organizations - to complete AlcoholEdu for College, these institutions are taking advantage of Population-Level Prevention®, a method of prevention that leverages students' social networks to produce significant improvement in alcohol-related perception and behaviors, and inspire social and cultural change. Institutions delivering the course to their entire student body are not only changing individual students' behavior but are also changing the culture of drinking on their campuses.
"This is a truly exciting milestone," said Outside The Classroom's Founder and CEO, Brandon Busteed. "With 1 in 4 students now taking AlcoholEdu, we are one step closer to reaching a national 'tipping point' on our campuses as it relates to considerably less abuse of alcohol. I think it is a clear sign that any and every college and university can do this. And from a duty to care perspective, if we can, we should. AlcoholEdu has become a standard."
The program continually submits itself to rigorous evaluation and research, and has already built a strong track record of effectiveness in changing students' alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors. Data from students who took AlcoholEdu for College in summer and fall of 2005 shows that the program increases practical knowledge and protective behaviors: 72% of students who completed the program said they now know more about blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and students who engaged with AlcoholEdu for College in summer 2005 were twice as likely to think about their BAC when drinking as were students who had not completed the program.
Furthermore, an independent research study conducted by Dr. Andrew Wall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that students at American colleges who completed AlcoholEdu for College in 2003-2004 experienced 50% fewer negative health, social, and academic consequences related to drinking than students who had not yet been exposed to the program.
AlcoholEdu for College includes three confidential surveys, which provide success metrics for the institution after students have completed the course. The program also uses these survey responses to customize the course for each student based on his or her drinking behaviors, sex, and readiness to change. Unlike other online programs, AlcoholEdu for College creates a highly relevant and meaningful experience for all students - whether they are frequent, heavy drinkers, light to moderate drinkers, or non-drinkers.
"This isn't just about addressing high-risk drinkers," said Busteed. "It's also about empowering non-drinkers and helping reduce the risk of moderate drinkers, who, due to their large numbers, actually contribute to the majority of negative consequences on campus."
In addition to today's millionth student milestone, Outside The Classroom is pleased to announce that it will launch a new mental health promotion program, MentalHealthEdu™. The company is also proud to welcome William DeJong, Ph.D., distinguished expert in alcohol and substance abuse prevention, as Director of Program Research and Development.
About Outside The Classroom
The leader in online prevention, Outside The Classroom has spent seven years focused on tackling high-risk drinking and the related epidemic-level health issues by delivering programs designed for population-level application. The company offers a variety of programs, including AlcoholEdu, SexualAssaultEdu™, and MentalHealthEdu, developed for students, parents, and higher education faculty and staff. All of Outside The Classroom’s programs take a non-opinionated, science- and evidence-based approach, helping to support safe and healthy campus communities. Led by William DeJong, Ph.D., the company’s development team includes prevention professionals, assessment and evaluation experts, experienced educators, and leading scientists. Outside The Classroom collaborates with many prominent organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
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