Tobacco Use Prevention Education Program (TUPE)
Purpose/Objectives
The purpose of the TUPE program is to reduce youth tobacco use by helping young people make healthful tobacco-related decisions through tobacco-specific research-validated educational instruction and activities that build knowledge as well as social skills and youth development assets. Collaboration with community-based tobacco control programs is an integral part of program planning. Within the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, school staff, parents, students, and the larger community are involved in the program, so that students are aware of our cohesive effort and concern for their health and, consequently, their ability to succeed in school and life.
Principles of Effectiveness as Applied to Tobacco-Use
Having tobacco-free schools is one of our nation's highest priorities. As a recipient of TUPE funds, our District must use those funds in ways that are most likely to reduce tobacco use among youth. With that in mind, we coordinate our TUPE-funded programs with other available prevention efforts to maximize the impact of all the tobacco prevention programs and resources available.
In General, our programs:
- Are based on an assessment of objective data regarding the incidence of tobacco use in the public elementary and secondary schools, as well as the communities we serve, including an objective analysis of the current conditions and consequences regarding tobacco use that is based on ongoing local assessment or evaluation activities;
- Are based on an established set of performance measures aimed at ensuring that the elementary and secondary schools, as well as the communities we serve by the program, having a tobacco-free learning environment;
- Are based on scientifically based research that provides evidence that the program we use will reduce tobacco use;
- Include meaningful and ongoing consultation with, and input from, parents, in the development of the application and administration of our programs and activities.
- Periodic Evaluation
- Our programs and activities undergo a regular evaluation to assess our progress toward reducing tobacco use in schools.
- The results are used to refine, improve, and strengthen our programs, and to refine the performance measures, and are also be made available to the public on the District's web site.
Services
Our local programs are based on research that has determined the effectiveness of particular programs and instructional strategies. The California Department of Education has provided us with information about Research-Validated programs, as well as research-based activities, to prevent tobacco use. We currently utilize Botvin's LifeSkills curriculum – specifically taught in grades 6, 7 and 9. Botvin's Lifeskills is a school-based prevention program designed to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use among students. Botvin's LifeSkills curriculum has a separate, developmentally appropriate curriculum for each grade level. Each curriculum builds on earlier grade levels, an instructional design which enables students to learn important skills sequentially and retain them year after year. For more information on the program, please visit their web site at Life Skills Trainings.
We also utilize the Community Intervention's TEG and TAP programs. Based on Prochaska and DiClemente's stages of change, Intervening With Teen Tobacco Users (TEG) is designed to move teenage tobacco users from not wanting to quit to wanting to quit. Through videos, demonstrations, and cooperative learning, teenage tobacco users learn about the negative consequences of tobacco use. They gain the knowledge, motivation, and action steps to move toward a healthier, tobacco-free lifestyle. Participants are encouraged to reduce their tobacco use, quit on their own, or join a voluntary tobacco cessation program. Helping Teens Stop Using Tobacco (TAP) the cessation program used in our District. In an adult-led support group setting, tobacco users are gently guided to a personally selected quit date and provided with specific strategies to remain tobacco-free. Facilitators and peers provide the cessation options, guidance, and social support for the choices participants make as they design their own approach to becoming tobacco-free.
For more information contact Athena Agustin.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER TUPE SUPPORTED PROGRAMS
- “Youth to Youth Conference”
- “She’s All That” Conference (sponsored by SRV Soroptomist Club) - She’s All That! is a distinctive event for all 5th-8th grade girls and their parents. This special conference includes inspirational keynote presentations, “Live Your Dream!” Expo booths and a choice of three workshops for girls and three workshops for parents with subjects pertinent to today’s teen, family and societal issues.
- Alternative to Suspension Program - In partnership with Discovery Counseling Center , the San Ramon Valley Unified School District has developed a pilot program for students and families with school-based, first-time, tobacco, alcohol, and/or marijuana offenses. The program offers a "brief intervention" for the students, and includes an assessment, some counseling, and a family session, in order to provide a supportive and educational opportunity related to the suspendable offense.
- Tobacco Quit Groups - In partnership with the Center for Human Development , the San Ramon Valley Unified School District provides tobacco quit groups (please see the TAP description to the left).
TOBACCO POLICIES AND PRACTICES
Board Policy 5131.62 identifies and recognizes that tobacco use presents serious health risks, and it outlines both educational goals and prohibitions regarding products containing tobacco, vapor emitting devices, and other devices that mimic the use of tobacco products.
