Keep A Clear Mind

Implementing Drug & Alcohol Education |Keep A Clear Mind

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Keep A Clear Mind is a parent-child, take-home program in drug education. The program has received a number of awards and recognitions and is listed on the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.


The program includes four student activity books, four student incentives, and five parent newsletters. Students take the activity books home, one per week, and do the program with their parents. They receive a student incentive (bumper sticker, book mark, etc) for showing their teacher that their parents have signed indicating they have worked with them to complete the activity book. After four weeks of activity books the newsletters are sent home, again, one per week (or one every other week).


The program is easy to use and takes almost no classroom time. Here is a suggested way to implement the program.

How To Use Keep A Clear Mind

Each child will receive four activity books (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, good choices), four student incentives (bumper sticker, book mark, pencil, bracelet or key chain), and five parent newsletters. Students take the activity books home, one per week, and do the program with their parents. They receive a student incentive (bumper sticker, book mark, etc) for showing their teacher that their parents have signed indicating they have worked with their child to complete the activity book. After four weeks of activity books the newsletters are sent home, again, one per week (or one every other week). The program is easy to use and takes almost no classroom time. In addition to the Keep A Clear Mind program, we can provide evaluation instruments and assistance with program evaluation.

Introducing the Alcohol/Drug Use Education Program to Students

Say - “Today we begin a really fun program called Keep A Clear Mind. Keep A Clear Mind will give you an opportunity to do activities together with your parents that will help you say, “No” to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Each week, for four weeks, you will receive an activity booklet. The first week the activity booklet is about choosing to not use alcohol.”


Do - Hold up activity booklet, and show the different pages


Say – “You take the booklet home and, with your parents, read the material, answer questions, and complete the activities. The inside of the back cover is a “Contract to think for yourself.” After you complete the other activities, your parents, or another adult, signs indicating they will help you keep your contract.”


Do – Show the “contract” page.


Say - “Bring the activity booklet back to school and show me that your parents have signed the “contract” page, you will get the incentive for the week – for example, a Keep A Clear Mind bumper sticker.”


Do – Show the Keep A Clear Mind bumper sticker


Say – “This week you will be taking home the first activity book ‘we choose not to use alcohol.’ I think the activity book will help you learn a lot about alcohol – and ways to say “no” to alcohol.

Second Week (and third and fourth week)

Say - “Last week you took home the Keep A Clear Mind activity booklet about alcohol (or tobacco, marijuana, or making choices). Did you learn anything new?


Do – Take a few minutes to give students an opportunity to tell something they learned. Remember we don’t want personal stories about family members and alcohol (or other drugs), so if that is what students want to share remind them that’s not what you had in mind.


Do - Hold up new activity book for the week, and show the different pages


Say – “You take the booklet home and, with your parents, read the material, answer questions, and complete the activities. The inside of the back cover is a “Contract to think for yourself.” After you complete the other activities, your parents, or another adult, signs indicating they will help you keep your contract.”


Do – Show the “contract” page.


Say - “Bring the activity booklet back to school and show me that your parents have signed the “contract” page, you will get the incentive for the week – for example, a Keep A Clear Mind pencil.”


Do – Show the Keep A Clear Mind pencil


Say – “This week you will be taking home activity booklet (name the activity book). I think the activity booklet will help you learn a lot about (whatever the topic is) – and ways to (say “no” to tobacco or marijuana, make good choices about alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and other important health behaviors).

Parent Newsletters | Student Education

There are five parent newsletters. After sending home one activity book each week for four weeks, send home one parent newsletter per week for five additional weeks. The idea is to provide parents with additional information and prompt them to continue the conversation with their children about making good health decisions and saying “no” to alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.


Do – Each week pass out the newsletter for that week.


Say - “Make sure your parents get this week’s newsletter. It will provide them and you with additional information about making good health decisions and saying “no” to alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.

Introducing the Program to Parents

It is probably a good idea for parents to be provided information about the program prior to their child bringing home the first activity book. This can be in the form of a note home to parents. Some teachers present the program to parents as part of an annual parents’ night program. Some schools decide to host a “parent preview” night. Parents get to see the actual program materials and ask questions about how the program will be implemented at their child’s school. If the program is implemented as part of a grant, the funding agency may want some type of evaluation conducted in the form of pretest-posttest questionnaires for students (and sometimes parents). Sometimes this also includes a control group. A parent preview night also provides an opportunity to discuss the evaluation (and secure parental consent – generally not needed for students to participate in the program, but often is needed for participation in data collection – i.e. completion of questionnaires), address potential concerns and answer questions.

Sample Note to Parents

Dear Parents:
We wanted you to know that beginning (date) all of the fifth [or other grade] graders at our school will be participating in the Keep A Clear Mind program. Keep A Clear Mind is a parent-child, take-home program in drug education. The program includes four student activity books, four student incentives, and five parent newsletters.

Students take the activity books home, one per week, and do the program with their parents. This involves reading material, answering simple questions about the material, and completing a few fun activities. They receive a student incentive (bumper sticker, book mark, etc.) for showing their teacher that their parents have signed indicating they have worked with them to complete the activity book.

After four weeks of activity books, newsletters are sent home, again, one per week (or one every other week). The idea is to provide parents with additional information and prompt them to continue the conversation with their children about making good health decisions and saying “no” to alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.

We know you and your child will enjoy and benefit from the Keep A Clear Mind program. We encourage you to participate in the program and both begin and continue discussions with your children about alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and making healthy decisions.
Yours for good health,

John B. Healthy
Principal, Healthy Living School

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