Bosworth recognized for prevention efforts

April 24, 2000


Associate professor of educational administration and Smith Endowed Chair Kris Bosworth, recently introduced a publication titled "Protective Schools: Linking Drug Abuse Prevention with Student Success." The guide advocates collaborative efforts among schools, families, communities, and social institutions to prevent school failure. Bosworth says in the guide that "four powerful factors in preventing school failure, substance abuse, violence, and teen pregnancy can be influenced within the school setting." The guide explains the concept of a "protective school" where the physical and psychological atmosphere promotes healthy youth development.

Bosworth developed the guide in cooperation with educators and prevention experts and introduced it last month to the United States Department of Education where it was received enthusiastically. Strategies include concrete steps to develop schools as caring and supportive places for work and learning. While the book is written from the perspective of school-based efforts, Bosworth clearly points out that this in no way implies that schools bear the sole responsibility for addressing drug use and other social problems. Bosworth stresses that families and policy-makers needs to be directly involved with educators and students.

Bosworth will be recognized May 16 in Washington, D.C. by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for her achievements in prevention efforts. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention named a computer-based program developed by Bosworth as a model prevention program and has included it in its national registry of effective prevention programs. SMART Talk (Students Managing Anger and Resolution Together) is a multimedia computer-based intervention that uses games, simulations, graphics and interactive interviews to engage adolescents in learning news skills to resolve conflict. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention selects as model programs only those projects that have science-based evidence to support their findings.

For additional information: Kris Bosworth, College of Education, 520-626-4694, boswortk@u.arizona.edu

For more information on the College of Education Smith Initiatives for Prevention and Education, contact Ginny Geib, Office of Development and Communications, College of Education, 520-621-7224, geib@u.arizona.edu

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