LIKE SKILLS: CLASSES HELP STUDENTS TACKLE COMMON CHILDHOOD DIFFICULTIES

A group of Jackson Middle School sixth graders bunched together in the center of Mr. Friedrich's class, closed their eyes and reached out to grab the hands of two other students. When they opened their eyes they found themselves tangled up into a giant knot.

As they struggled to untie the knot, stepping over and through the arms of fellow students, they smiled and laughed, not realizing, perhaps, that even as they played the game, they were learning valuable life skills about team work, listening to others, cooperation and problem solving.

The game was a part of a larger project by seven health management students from SEMO enrolled in Dr. Edward Leoni's Contemporary Drug Use class.

The class, required of all health management majors at Southeast Missouri State University, focuses less on treating substance abuse than on preventing the abuse from beginning in the first place.

"Drugs are symptoms," Leoni said. "The drug issue is not simply about drugs, but about growing up in America. America will always have drug problems unless it addresses the underlying problems that lead to drug use."

As a part of the class, students conduct a Community Information Initiative (a CII) to identify the risk factors within a community that might lead to substance abuse. The CII process, developed by Leoni, has become a model for Missouri's Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Use. It is also used by Community 2000 Support Centers throughout the state.

Students conducting a CII begin by interviewing people to discover underlying issues within a community, not asking specific questions about drugs, but asking open-ended questions that will identify problems. They speak to parents, teachers, police officers and community leaders. But they also visit classrooms and playgrounds to talk to the kids who may be at risk for drug use.

In Cape Girardeau, a common problem identified by Leoni's students was the lack of activities for kids. Boredom is a serious issue, Leoni said, because it can lead to drug use.

People in Sikeston were concerned about the breakdown in the family in a community that has become "day care oriented" and in which parents and children don't spend much time together. Working with the Powerhouse of God Church in Sikeston, Leoni's students planned a Halloween party where whole families could come together, play together and spend time together.

When seven of Leoni's students visited Mr. Friedrich's class, they discovered that the issues sixth graders faced were not specifically about drugs or alcohol, but about time management, peer pressure and communication with parents and friends.

Underlying those problems was a bigger issue of learning to make the right choices in life, stated Becky England, a health management student at SEMO.

"We picked sixth graders to work with because that's a critical point in their life where they are still impressionable," England said.

"They didn't identify drugs or alcohol as a big problem, which is good. We got to them before they had pressure put on them," she said.

When Leoni's students visited the classroom, they not only played games with the students, but they talked with the students about time management, peer pressure and making wise choices for a healthy lifestyle. After performing a skit depicting peer pressure, which often gets kids to smoke, they asked the kids what they would do if a friend tried to get them to smoke.

Zach Priest, an eleven-year old, spoke up, "I'd tell them, 'If you're going to force a friend to smoke, you're not a very good friend.'"

Additional programs have been presented at Meadow Heights, Sikeston and Universal Physique in Cape Girardeau. Future programs are planned for May Green and Alma Schrader elementary schools in Cape later in the month.