The PAST Project is a statewide partnership between the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and The Council on Alcohol and Drugs. This project works to help youth avoid alcohol and drugs, think and plan for the future, and enhance confidence in new situations.
The Peer Assisted School Transition Project (PAST) seeks to build resiliency in youth. PAST works by using trained peer leaders to assist younger students across two transitional phases in school, 5th grade to 6th grade (middle school transition) and 8th grade to 9th-grade transition (high school transition). The peer leaders (6th and 9th-grade students) are placed in helping roles with younger students (5th and 8th-grade students) from feeder campuses. The PAST curriculum is based on evidence-based strategies and practices and guides school personnel, peer leaders, and rising peers in building Substance Abuse Prevention (SAP) skills and knowledge via increasing the strength of multiple protective factors and reducing the strength of and exposure to multiple risk factors. Topics discussed include risk and protective factors, normative beliefs related to drug use, discovering the consequences of drug use, resisting peer pressure, Georgia’s Good Samaritan Law, transitions from school to school.
PAST Project Overview
This project works to help youth avoid alcohol and drugs, think and plan for the future, and enhance confidence in new situations. This project covers:
Factors that put people at risk for drug and alcohol use
Beliefs about drug use
Effects of drug use
Resisting peer pressure
Healthy friendships
Transitions from school to school
The PAST content, tool kits, and implementation guide were developed to support successful student transitions across three transitional phases, building substance abuse protective factors and reducing risk factors. The materials developed were based on evidence-based strategies and practices.
Students encounter many personal and environmental challenges throughout middle and high school.
The PAST project is a series of interactions that take place with peers throughout the school year. Topics include risk and protective factors, normative beliefs related to drug use, discovering the consequences of drug use, resisting peer pressure, Georgia's Good Samaritan Law, and transitions from school to school or school to college.
HERE'S WHAT PAST PEERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE PAST PROJECT!
The Peer Assisted School Transition Project (PAST) Rising Peer Workbooks, Peer Leader Manuals, Toolkits, and the Getting Started Implementation Guide represents the partnership between the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and The Council on Alcohol and Drugs.
The Council on Alcohol and Drugs, Inc.
270 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2200
Atlanta, GA 30303-1283