Get Involved!

Tips For How You Can Help Ensure the SDFSC Program is NOT Eliminated

• Contact your members of Congress using CADCA’s CapWiz system to ask them to make funding for the State Grants portion of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) program one of their top FY 2010 appropriations priorities. Try to get at least 10 other people to do the same.
• Establish a statewide list serve or email chain to disseminate pertinent information regarding SDFSC program action alerts. Designate one person to be responsible for getting the information out to the entire state network. Use this lest serve to:

  · Let people, particularly those who run local educational agencies, know that it is critical that you have copies of their statistics. For example, how many kids are being served, how is the SDFSC money being used effectively, what impact would it have if the program were eliminated, etc.

  · Circulate a statewide petition. Get each person on your statewide list serve to commit to obtaining at least 10 signatures, with the ultimate goal of having at least 1,000 signatures statewide (include both organizations, such as the Statewide PTA, and individuals with home addresses on the petition).

  · Have kids sign these petitions, but also have them write letters explaining how the SDFSC program was instrumental in helping them to make the choice not to use drugs.

• Obtain letters of support for the State Grants portion of the SDFSC program from key influentials (e.g., your First Lady, police chief, the state superintendent of schools, elected school board officials, etc.).
• Garner local support for the program. Disseminate the SDFSC fact sheets that are on CADCA’s website throughout the state to explain how this program is effective.
• Write new, or use already prepared, op-eds [sample op-eds - download links below] and try to get them printed in papers throughout the state. Keep copies of any of the op-eds that are printed.

  Prevent Now or Pay Later
  The goal of safe, drug free schools gets caught in a measurement trap

• Once collected, put the petitions, letters from kids and key influentials, statewide data and op-eds into a folder and send to:
   
  Kelly Lieupo
  625 Slaters Lane, Suite 300
  Alexandria, VA 22314