Project Northland – Research based curriculum

Grades 6 – 8:

The goals of Project Northland are to delay the age when young people begin drinking, reduce alcohol use among young people who have already tried drinking, and limit the number of alcohol-related problems of young people.  Alcohol is the focus of the Project Northland program because it is the drug of choice of American teenagers and inflicts the most harm during this age period. The programs of Project Northland provide state-of-the-art prevention materials for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade students.  These programs invite participation and experiential learning at home and in the classroom.  Project Northland has been shown to be effective in delaying and reducing alcohol use among young adolescents in the largest and most rigorous alcohol-use prevention trial ever funded by the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse.  Furthermore, among those students who had not begun using alcohol by the beginning of 6^th grade, reports of cigarette use and marijuana use were lower in those who participated in project Northland Prevention programs.

Grade 6:

The SLICK TRACY HOME TEAM PROGRAM brings 6^th grade students together with their families to complete fun and educational activities at home.  Using activity books, this four-week program provides a forum for 6^th graders and their families to discuss alcohol-related issues.

Grade 7:

The AMAZING ALTERNATIVES! Curriculum for 7^th grade students consists of eight 45-minute classroom sessions of peer-led experiential activities including audio tapes made by kids their age, group discussions, class games, problem solving, and role plays.  These activities are designed to teach students skills to identify and resist influences to use alcohol, to change the acceptability of alcohol use, and to encourage alcohol-free alternatives.  The primary goal of the program is to delay the onset of alcohol use among 7^th graders.

Grade 8:

POWERLINES, an eight-session, four-week interactive program for 8^th grade students, is designed to reinforce the messages and behaviors learned in 6^th and 7^th grade Project Northland curricula.  POWERLINES introduces 8^th graders to professional and political groups within communities that influence adolescents’ alcohol use.  Through work on small group projects, students learn about these groups and influences they have within their own communities.  Student projects also give 8^th graders opportunities to become positive influences within their communities, schools, peer groups, and with younger students.