 Interactive Methods in Drug Prevention
Joint EU/UNDP project “Programme of Assistance for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking in Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova (BUMAD)” continues its series of events in the area of drug prevention in 2008.
In September and October of 2008, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel and Grodno successfully hosted seminars “Interactive Methods and Elements of Theatre Art in Drug Prevention” for social pedagogues of educational and extracurricular institutions. Similar seminars were held in April-May in Minsk and Mogilev. More than 300 specialists of Belarusian educational institutions took part in these seminars.
Social pedagogues have familiarized themselves with progressive methods of drug prevention work with students, acquired knowledge of the drug prevention system, learned the skills of using interactive methods, and developed thematic scenarios on the Forum Theatre technology. The specialists took great interest in discussing the issues of drug use in school, analyzed their own professional experience of relationships with teens and parents, and looked for effective ways of resolving conflicts.
Participants noted that they had formed a complete understanding of drugs, forms and methods of drug prevention, as well as of the need to work comprehensively with schoolchildren and their parents. The seminar allowed the pedagogues to analyze and review approaches to the prevention work. Participants also expressed wish to level up their competence in using interactive methods in the prevention work with students.
Analysis of comments from the participants served the basis for planning of yet another seminar of profound level for the social pedagogues, specialists of educational institutions in the area of drug prevention, participants of the prevention seminars conducted by BUMAD in 2007-2008.
The goal of this seminar is to develop competences necessary to conduct trainings on drug prevention. It is expected to teach additional knowledge and skills necessary to improve drug prevention work: theoretical basis of using interactive methods; structure of a training class and each stage in particular; skills of group work (moderator skills); basic ways of active methods of study: advantages and limitations; taking into account age differences in groups while developing drug prevention courses.
It is expected to pay particular attention to the development of life skills among students in the context of drug use prevention, i.e. an ability to say “no” to drugs, taking a deliberate decision; critical processing of the incoming information (mass media, mass and club culture).
An ability to organize prevention work with students, apply active methods taking into account age differences, knowledge of the logic of an interactive class and ability to apply the methods of forming life habits with the students would help mould the necessary values that contribute to the resistance of the negative influence coming from the outside environment.
At present, schools are conducting prevention classes with their students. Organization of drug prevention is part of the responsibilities that are required of the social pedagogues. In the framework of prevention activities, personnel of the juvenile police also have meetings with students. During the seminars, social pedagogues expressed their concern about the lack of information and methodology works in the sphere; juvenile police personnel filed a request for the information materials on drug prevention that are adapted to various age groups of students. The need emerged to elaborate prevention lessons for students of 5-6, 7-9 and 10-11 grades. The topic of these lessons touches on the relevant issues of drug prevention: health as a value, risk factors, measures to resist risk factors and ways to preserve health, consequences of drug use, skills to resist pressure and hold an adequate response, reasons to start using drugs, critical thinking skills, taking deliberate decision, resisting pressure from coevals, drug legislation.
For additional information, please contact BUMAD Prevention Campaign Coordinator Natalya Nemkevich (tel/fax: +375 17219 78 29) |
