Our work
focuses on drugs and young people, and we are keen to continue our work
with Drug Action Teams. As you will see , we have previously carried out
young people’s needs assessments, mapping exercises, policy development
and website creation. We have delivered a range of training. We provide
a comprehensive, efficient and easy-to-access service that helps you to
deliver on your commitments.
educari
has:
a thorough
understanding of the Government’s drugs agenda and related policies.
considerable
experience of local multi-agency work with DATs, Health Authorities
and Education Authorities.
a solid
track record in research and evaluation.
extensive
experience of consultation with professionals AND with children and
young people.
a work-team
and associates who possess a range of professional expertise.
awareness
of the constraints under which DATs operate, an understanding of their
needs and of the services for which DATs are responsible.
an understanding
of the need to deliver to agreed deadlines.
So whether
it is advice, research and evaluation, needs assessment, service mapping,
the production of materials, the creation and maintenance of a website,
etc, etc, we can help.
We are particularly
interested in:
assisting
DATs in conducting evaluations
helping
DATs to produce good quality information with high visual content and
solid production values – including traditional print media (booklets,
leaflets, etc) as well as websites, CD-ROMs, on-line databases and directories,
etc
organising
and delivering training (for example, INSET days for PSHE co-ordinators,
drug awareness sessions for housing officers).
So please
contact us to explore what educari
can do for you, or if you would like us to tender for a piece of work.
educari
helps the Royal Borough
educari is helping the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea in London
to develop its drug policy guidelines.
This
involves re-writing the existing guidelines to bring them up to date and
to give more attention to the needs of staff in informal education settings
such as youth clubs and play centres.
The results
should be a user friendly document that makes it easy for schools and
other establishments to develop robust policies. They will be helped in
doing this by a dedicated website area which enables them to construct
their own policy.
Volatile
Substance Abuse Websites
One of the
Managing Partner, Richard Ives' specialisms is Volatile Substance Abuse
(VSA).
Canban is
our site developed for the Health Education Authority to help retailers
understand the law on Volatile Substance Abuse.
Meeting
children and young people’s needs: solvents and volatile substance
abuse
Birmingham
Monday, 13th May 2002
Bristol Friday, 14th June 2002
York Tuesday, 2nd July 2002
The Solvent
Misuse Networkand Dissemination Project is holding three
Free Seminars on volatile substance abuse. The Seminars are relevant
to anyone involved in support, care or education of children and young
people.
These Seminars
are particularly important in view of the recent findings from the Department
of Health survey 'Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in
England 2001' which found that 11- and 12-year-olds were more likely to
have tried volatile substances than cannabis.
Each Seminar
will:
• raise
awareness of solvents and VSA related issues
• support the integration of solvents and VSA into local planning
and assist in identification of gaps in provision
• ensure children and young people’s voices are heard
• gather and disseminate ‘best practice’ in VSA work
• stimulate debate and discussion around current work
You are
invited to take part in one of these Free Seminars. If you would like
to attend, please contact: NCB Conferences, 8 Wakley Street, London EC1V
7QE. Fax 020 7843 6039
e-mail to conferences@ncb.org.uk.
Deaths
from volatile substance abuse
St George’s
Hospital Medical School released their annual report on VSA deaths in
the UK in July 2002. Their most recent deaths figures (for 2000) show
a welcome fall in deaths to 64 (from 75 in previous year).
Gas fuel
deaths form a smaller proportion of deaths than in previous years, while
aerosol-related deaths have increased slightly. These changes could be
due to the introduction of the amendment to the Consumer Protection Act
banning the sale of gas lighter refills to under-18s.
Female deaths
are up (19% of total in 2000 compared to around 13% historically) and
age at death is getting older (historically, about a third of those dying
have been over 19, while in 2000 about 58 per cent were older than 19).
Let's
Find Out about Drugs Together
by Richard Ives and Vanessa Cooper. A
booklet for Key Stage 2 children to read together with their parents
or carers. Puts drug misuse into its proper social context. Contains
activities for children and parents. The booklet covers legal and
illegal drugs, medicines and volatile substances. Contains essential
advice for adults on how to tackle these topics with children. More Details
But
it’s more than just fun. It gives accurate information about
drugs. And it isn’t just about illegal drugs – it covers
alcohol, tobacco, coffee, prescription drugs and volatile substances;
Xoteric
deals with the reasons why people use them, and links to other areas
of personal, social and health education.
An
interactive and engaging resource for drug education
Accurate
and non-alarmist drug information
Covers legal and illegal drugs
Information
on drugs laws in the UK
Suitable
for classroom use at Key Stage 3
Spoken
text – great for less able readers
Includes
pre-designed paper-based Activities
Guidance
on creating your own Activities
Ages
10 - adult
An
amazing resource for the classroom & informal education
Drug
Education in PSHE & C and across the Primary Curriculum
by
Barbara Wyvill
Detailed
guidance on all aspects of drug education for the non-specialist
teachers at Key Stage 1 & 2. Plus comprehensive and easy to
follow lesson plans, for the PSHE & Citizenship curriculum and
the Science National Curriculum. Strong liks to the Literacy hour
and other curriculum areas. Now including supporting
website!
Clear
aims and learning objectives
Simple-to-use
lesson plans
Literacy
hour ideas
Working
within the PSHE & C framework and National Science curriculum
Have
you written a book, game or resource for Drug Education?
Would
you like to see it published and distributed?
If
it is not currently in print or you have not had it published, why
not send us a copy?
educari
is a
UK-based educational distributor and content provider specialising
in resources for drug Education. We are constantly on the lookout
for really good educational tools.
This
Pack has been developed to help teachers,and other educators working
with pupils with special educational needs, to teach about drugs.
Although
the aims of drug education are the same for children with special
educational needs, they may need special approaches and tailored
resources. This Pack provides these resources.
The
material is suitable for people who have a variety of special needs.
It is designed to meet the needs of educators working with young
people who have varied knowledge and experience of drugs.
Contents
include:
Exercises
about feelings
Exercises
that specifically focus on Drugs
Exercises
about choosing and resisting
Exercises
on giving and getting advice
(DH)
Department of Health
Drug Education and Prevention Resources
Information Service (DEPIS)
Resource
Information
Name of resource Xoteric
Producer/author educari
Publishers educari
Date produced/published 2002
Brief
description
An interactive and engaging CD-ROM for teenagers to explore and
gain an in-depth understanding of the drug issues effecting young
people. It covers illegal and legal drugs, information on the drug
laws in the UK and the reasons why young people may use drugs. There
is an accompanying booklet. This resource is suitable for classroom
use at Key Stage 3 and above.
Type
of resource CD-ROM Target group Young people aged 10 to adult Setting School, community, youth service Language English Price £58 (plus £3.50 postage) Ordering/purchasing details
educari, Manor Farm, Kettlestone, Norfolk NR21 OAU Tel: 01328 878790 Email: chris@educari.com Website: www.educari.com
Assessment
Review by expert panel
Xoteric is an interactive CD-ROM designed for ages 10 to adult,
the core target audience being 10 to 14s. It is suitable for classroom
use with Key Stage 3, but could be equally fun to use in youth club
settings, in the home or a drug agency. Nearly all the text is spoken
so the resource is very suitable for young people with learning
difficulties or poor motivation for learning, as minimal reading
skills are required. It is very accessible and young people can
dive in and find out for themselves.
This
is an extremely flexible resource and good value for money at £58.00.
It comes in a protective case and there are clear, straightforward
instructions for use. There is an accompanying guide booklet packed
with information, assignments, teacher's notes and a list of the
25 characters portrayed in the game. There are also pointers to
other agencies and sources of information and support.
The
notes have been included on the CD-Rom in Abode Acrobat format,
which can be printed. Also the text has been included as a Word
file and can be modified. The minimum equipment requirements equates
to the standard home computer specification, that is 64Mb RAM (128Mb
RAM recommended) Windows 95, 98, NT or 2000, a CD Rom and 300Mb
hard drive space for installation. It is relatively easy to install
but could be difficult for complete computer novices.
The
theme of the game is a spaceship of aliens exploring our planet
who want to find out more about humans' drug use. The setting is
a virtual nightclub where characters are found in the basement,
the bar and on the dance floor involved in various different activities.
The aliens scan the characters through different modes; the medical
officer gives advice on the physical effects of drugs; the counselor
on the mental health aspects; the security officer information about
particular drugs including legal, illegal and prescribed medication.
There is also a help panel referred to as the captain. The accompanying
booklet contains eight assignments or missions that include; identifying
drugs and risks; which drugs are legal and illegal on this planet;
drug dangers; the story of an earthling; volatile substance abuse;
why do some humans use drugs; minimising harm and investigating
the risks of injecting.
The
resource is very visual in its approach to learning and has used
high quality graphics to make an impact. The characters are culturally
diverse and appealing to young people. From the drug scans of individual
clubbers key words within the text can be clicked on to access further
information about the particular drug that person is taking. These
include issues such as 'risk', which is followed by a game where
some of the risks associated with drugs are presented. The information
is factual and 'correct and the language used is appropriate and
engaging for young people. The user can spend as long as they want
exploring this virtual nightclub depending on their requirements.
'On
the whole, the CD-ROM is very easy to use although some criticism
from users is that it is not clear how to exit or go back to other
scenes. It is slow in comparison to a normal game console, however,
the primary purpose is for education and not entertainment. Some
users wanted more interaction or missions and felt that these needed
to be highlighted more.
The
installation of the 'QuickTime' is not clear or easy and it is sometimes
hard to click on certain characters within the nightclub. Some feedback
from parents stated that they found it very helpful and would encourage
their children to use it. The young people found it 'more interesting
than listening to a teacher' and remembered what they had learnt.
The programme induced positive conversation amongst the young people
after using the game, giving the opportunity for discussion of any
issues arising.
The
resource more than achieves its aims and objectives of teaching
about drug related issues, developing skills in handling situations,
and exploring attitudes and the reasons why people use drugs. This
creative and innovative resource makes learning fun and entertaining
which sets new standards for drug education.
Should
you have any queries, comments or suggestions about this resource,
please contact: drugs@doh.gsi.gov.uk
Go straight to any page!
Buy
Online - Securely
Gallery
These
pictures were made by young people on Adventure playgrounds
in Islington, who we consulted as part of our Young People’s
Needs Assessment in 2000.
(Calpol!)
Have
you or your school made any pictures of drugs?
Would
you like to see your work featured in theeducari
gallery?
Send
your pictures to: educari
gallery
Manor
Farm
Kettlestone
Fakenham
Norfolk
NR21 0AU
If
you would like your pictures returned, please make sure that
you enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope large enough
for your artwork!
