From 2 News: Wright State workshop teaches educators about drug prevention

Kevin Lorson, professor and director of the Physical Education Program, helped organize the HOPE Curriculum and Start Talking: Tools for Opioid and Drug Prevention in Schools workshop on Nov. 8. (Photo by Erin Pence)

A program hosted by Wright State Wednesday aims to bring drug abuse prevention into classrooms. Teachers, counselors and school administrators from around the Miami Valley attended a workshop to learn about the HOPE Curriculum.

HOPE, which stands for Health and Opioid-Abuse Prevention Education, is a set of resources, teaching materials and lesson plans to schools to bring to K-12 health education.

Together with an Ohio Governor’s program called Start Talking, facilitators for HOPE helped participants develop school plans for drug abuse prevention.

“We just want to encourage conversations with boys and girls about the importance of being drug-free,” said Sarah Moore, director of Start Talking.

HOPE Curriculum project director and Wright State Professor Kevin Lorson said schools can play an influential role in raising awareness around the region’s opioid crisis.

“Schools spend a lot of time with kids and they are a key asset,” Lorson said. “They also reach out to parents and the community, so at the end of the day, they are probably the foundation for developing some of these healthy skills.”

Watch the report from WDTN 2 News.