Young People's Right of Choice

Aim:  The aim of the project is to model the healthy behaviour among the young people in the town of Vidin, which will contribute to their equal participation in the community life by raising their knowledge. They will be given the possibility of own choice, professional realization and personal growth. Objectives The long term objective of the project is to lay the base of a programme for prevention of the abuse with psychoactive substances, which will lead to diminishing the risk of abuse with drugs by the young people. Thus the possibility of isolation by the society will be prevented and their potential participation in the in the community life will be motivated. Target group       Direct beneficiaries of the project are 2000 (two thousand) students from 9th, 10th and 11th grade of all Vidin secondary schools. Indirect beneficiaries: teachers, parents and school psychologists; citizens and organizations in the district of Vidin. Activities media presentations of the project; preparation of published and other informational materials; execution of prevention programme (life skills trainings) – 3 teams are formed. Each of them includes 2 specialists, which make presentations in all ten secondary schools in Vidin. The target is the students from 9th, 10th and 11th grade. discussion on the theme “Help me to be good!”, which will include parents and teachers. They will learn how to see the symptoms and signs of dependent behaviour. media appearances – two media broadcasts on the local televisions on the themes “Learn to say NO” and “ The courage to talk”. Round tables – two round tables with participation of representatives of institutions connected with the problems of drugs and dependent behaviour. organization of competition for life skills, where students who participated in the relevant training programme, will participate. presentation of results – a midterm and final report will be prepared about the results. Both will be presented before the district “Anti-drugs” council. Results increased awareness of 2000 students, 30 teachers, 5 school psychologists and 500 parents about the drugs problem, their dissemination, prevention and overcoming; finished four training modules with students and two meetings with parents with the following quality indicators: developed skills for taking of rational decisions regarding the use of drugs; developed skills for fighting of negative influences from adults and others related to the drugs use; developed skills in the young people to actively participate in the family dialogue regarding actual problems. awakening of the community opinion in respect of the drug problems, its prevention and the relevant vulnerability of the young people.