ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast is offering a program to teach middle school students about the dangers of opioids.
The Boys & Girls Club teamed up with Pinellas County Schools and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to offer the program to seventh-graders.
The Boys & Girls Club first offered the program at Azalea Middle School in St. Petersburg in 2020. The program has expanded to 22 middle schools in Pinellas County.
“I’m grateful for our partners that not only recognize the issues in our community but find innovative ways to be proactive and take action. Both the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast and the Pinellas County School Board are on the frontlines and see firsthand the issues that our youth face. There is no question that this partnership will give teens the tools they need to make good decisions and ultimately save lives," said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri in a press release.
Freddy Williams is president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast. He called the program "timely, innovative, and potentially life-saving."
"Our team understands the adverse impact the opioid epidemic is causing for teens,” stated Williams. “We are stronger when working together on behalf of young people and grateful for our partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Pinellas County Schools, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Not only will we teach students how to resist opioids, but we will also educate them on how to respond in emergencies. This program is timely, innovative, and potentially life-saving.”
Williams said the program will be offered to all middle school students during health education classes.
"What we've realized is that we serve a lot of kids at our local Boys & Girls Clubs, but it's so much more efficient for us to be able to work within the schools and partner with the schools, eliminates transportation and great access to certified teachers and it's a win-win for teachers," said Williams.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast also provides after-school programs for more than 500 children across ten locations in Pinellas County.
"Our kids are coming in, and they're getting homework assistance, literacy interventions. They're getting job and life skills and a hot meal," said Williams.
To learn more about our initiative to improve the lives of youth in our community or to learn how you can join the Movement, email info@BGCSun.org.
