Virginia ABC Grant Awarded to Emory & Henry College for Alcohol Education and Prevention Program
Emory & Henry College is one of fifteen colleges, universities and community organizations across Virginia that were recently awarded grants from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority Education and Prevention program to help reduce underage and high-risk drinking in their schools and neighborhoods.
The Emory & Henry Powell Resource Center was awarded $9,950 to be used throughout the 2018-19 academic year for a multi-faceted student alcohol abuse education program called “Wasp Wise.”
“The College has a responsibility to educate all students about alcohol consumption, especially underage students,” said Todd Stanley, director of counseling services in the Powell Resource Center at Emory & Henry. “Our goal is to decrease the occurrence of underage drinking and other high-risk practices such as binge drinking. This grant will allow us to enhance our education and outreach efforts.”
As part of the launch, grant money is being used to purchase t-shirts that will be given out to all first-year students during their week of welcome orientation. Stanley is collaborating with student leaders, such as the student orientation chairs, and others to design the t-shirts. In addition, nationally known wellness and substance abuse speaker Dr. Linda Hancock, who spoke here in 2017, will return to campus to speak to first-year students and conduct a training session with resident advisors.
The grant will also help support outreach and education to prospective and current student parents. This outreach will include a website and a newly implemented session at registration days where staff will discuss alcohol and drug support efforts at the college with prospective parents.
Stanley says the College is already working on future grant-supported events including a “Mocktail” party hosted by the Emory & Henry College Campus Police. The event will allow students to see the dangers of driving under the influence through the use of educational tools like drunk goggles.
“The rewards from this program expand far beyond the 11-month grant cycle,” said Virginia ABC Chief Executive Officer Travis Hill. “We’re looking forward to supporting these new initiatives from a diverse group of partners that share our mission to promote healthy communities by preventing underage and high-risk drinking.”
Overall, ABC awarded more than $117,000 in grant money to the following organizations for the 2018-2019 grant cycle:
- City of Portsmouth Police Department ($2,500)
- Emory & Henry College, Washington County ($9,950)
- Ferrum College ($9,060)
- Hanover Cares, Hanover County ($10,000)
- Lord Fairfax Community College Police Department, Shenandoah Valley/Piedmont regions ($7,495)
- Nia Incorporated of Greater Richmond ($5,500)
- Radford University ($9,375)
- Radford Youth Adult Partnership ($5,500)
- Region Ten Community Services Board, Charlottesville ($7,150)
- Rockbridge Area Community Services ($10,000)
- SAFE Inc., Chesterfield County ($8,700)
- Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria ($7,996)
- University of Richmond ($9,000)
- University of Virginia Office of Health Promotion, Charlottesville ($5,000)
- Virginia College Alcohol Leadership Council ($10,000)
For more information about ABC’s Education & Prevention Grant program, visit www.abc.virginia.gov.
The Powell Resource Center was established to provide a comprehensive support network dedicated to the growth and development of every student. A variety of services including academic success, counseling services, disability support and the Quantitative Literacy Center, are provided for students as they go through their college experience.
All services are free to Emory & Henry undergraduate and graduate students.
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