2011 TOBACCO FREE FAMILIES CALENDAR

Middle school youth in the 10-county Northeast Health District were invited to participate in a youth drawing contest for possible inclusion in a 2011 Tobacco Free Families Calendar. This very low cost project was designed to be used with middle school youth who are more likely to experiment with tobacco and other drugs. 

Because tobacco prevention and cessation funding was cut 45% for fiscal year 2010, it required us to review and prioritize to determine what programs/activities could remain. Almost all prevention programs in schools were eliminated to focus on helping youth and adults quit their tobacco use. Our Power of Ten teen prevention and advocacy program is now our only prevention activity.

With this reduced funding, we adapted a project from the Philadelphia Department of Health for middle schools to encourage teachers to work with their students in the area of tobacco. Tobacco Free Northeast sent information to all 59 school district superintendents and middle school principals about the contest and eventual calendar. We requested that they forward the information to their 5th-8th grade teachers. Teachers were asked to introduce a tobacco prevention lesson and have students design an artwork message on what they learned or how tobacco affects them. The suggested drawing themes were: quit messages for family members, smoke-free homes and/or cars, smoke-free outdoor spaces such as parks or recreation areas, or the effects of secondhand smoke on infants, children or pets. 

Through creative expression, youth shared their ideas and learnings. We received 665 posters from 13 schools from 7 different counties of the Northeast District. Winning drawings are creative and unique; each one expressing a very important message.  Drawing winners, their families, and teachers were notified in June. To engage local communities in the project, Fire Departments were contacted to invite them to partner with us to distribute the calendars during Fire Prevention month in October. 
Thus far, 17 departments agreed to participate. 

• Allentown Fire Dept
• Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Company
• Coopersburg Fire CO #1
• Diligence Fire Company NO 1
• Easton Fire Department
• Grattan - Singer Hose Co. 1, Fire Company
• Hawley Fire Department
• Hazleton Local 507
• Kingston Fire Dept
• Lackawaxen TWP Volunteer Fire Department
• Lake Harmony Volunteer Fire Co. Inc
• Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company #1
• Lower Milford TWP Fire Company NO 1
• Old Forge Hose & Engine Company
• Upper Saucon Volunteer Fire Department
• West Hazleton Fire Department
• Wilson Boro Fire Department

The drawing winners are listed below by county:

Lackawanna:   
Alison Kane; Abington Heights Middle School
Douglas Gerichten, Alyssa Warhola, and Emily Walter; Valley View Middle School

Luzerne:
Grace Gober and Georgia Calimeres; 10th St. Elementary School
Julian Mejia and Kalie Kotansky; Hazelton Area Elementary/Middle School
Maria Chinikaylo; Lake-Lehman Jr. High School

Monroe:
LeAnna Lawrence and Luxmi Vadhwana; Clear Run Intermediate School
Ming Li Goldston, Vanessa Lee Ping and Corin Winters; J.T. Lambert Intermediate School

Northampton:   
Nick Gowland, Kendel Reed, and Taylor Breisch; Northampton Area Middle School

Wayne:   
Maram Abdallah, Chyanne Kemp, Bridgette Mattson, Christian Rizzo and Alexis Ivosevic; Wallenpaupack Area Middle School
 

Congratulations to each of the contest winners and our sincere thanks to every child, teacher and school who participated!