Parents are the leading influence on their kids’ decision to drink – or not to drink – alcohol. Research shows that since 2003 underage drinking has declined 50% and conversations between parents and their kids about alcohol have increased 73%, a testament to the power of opening the lines of communication to start conversations about the prevention of underage drinking.
Ask, Listen, Learn in partnership with Discovery Education provides no-cost, standards-aligned lessons and other digital resources to teach students in grades 4-7 the science behind how alcohol affects their developing brains, bodies, and behavior. The program equips students with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. The Discovery Education program builds off of Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix (a program of Responsibility.org), and is the most widely-distributed underage drinking prevention program of its kind.
Ask, Listen, Learn resources take a skills-based approach to teaching families and kids about communication, decision-making, and advocating for themselves and their peers. The program balances focus on students, families, and educators with digitally accessible content that’s aligning Responsibility.org’s careful attention to healthy lifestyles and Discovery Education’s expertise in education.
Responsibility.org partnered with Discovery Education to expand the reach and impact of Ask, Listen, Learn to Discovery Education’s global network of approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students. The no-cost dynamic digital resources from Ask, Listen, Learn in partnership with Discovery Education were created with thoughtful collaboration between Responsibility.org and Discovery Education, along with a diverse collection of educators, counselors, quality assurance testers, and researchers to ensure efficacy.
Meeting students where they are, Ask, Listen, Learn in partnership with Discovery Education hosted a “Digital Discussion on the Science and Impact of Alcohol on Developing Brains, Bodies, and Behavior” on Twitter during Alcohol Responsibility Month in April 2019. This virtual day of learning invited educators, families, and students to explore the new digital classroom activities and videos, connect with health experts, and kickstart critical conversations with family and peers about saying “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking.
Conversations took off in schools across the nation with over 29 million social impressions and #BrainBodyBehavior trending on Twitter the day of the event. The launch was also widely publicized through a press release distribution with 43 million reach and an online blog post.
On launch day, communities were invited to follow #BrainBodyBehavior on Twitter and discuss the most effective ways to teach students about the impacts of underage drinking on their developing brains, bodies, and behavior. Educators were asked to share photos and videos of their class exploring the program and to submit their questions to the panel of experts using the campaign hashtag. These discussions covered a new topic every 2 hours throughout the school day, as seen below:
- 10:00 AM ET — “The Science Behind the Effects of Alcohol on Your Brain”
- 12:00 PM ET — “Treat Your Body like a Top Athlete”
- 2:00 PM ET — “Informed Students Make Better Healthier Decisions”
The successful day introduced communities to the dynamic and interactive resources, which include series of short videos featuring leaders like Nathan Adrian, a former 5-time gold medalist talking about the importance of healthy lifestyle. Altogether, Ask, Listen, Learn demonstrates Responsibility.org’s continued commitment to supporting healthy lifestyles while highlighting Discovery Education’s expertise in education and expansive network of educators.
Ask, Listen, Learn in partnership with Discovery Education launched in April 2019 with focus on connecting community through a Twitter chat. During Alcohol Responsibility Month in 2019, the program hashtag #BrainBodBehavior trended on Twitter with athletes, teachers, classrooms, influencers, and families joining the conversation. Through this particular initiative, the program reached nearly 42,000 students via the resources and garnered over 45 million press impressions. On social media, impressions topped 29 million across more than 150 users who shared 934 tweets using the campaign hashtag #BrainBodyBehavior.
To date, the program has reached 680,000 students, amplifying the progress and impact that Responsibility.org’s overarching program Ask, Listen, Learn has made with students across the country including:
1. Ask, Listen, Learn empowers kids to make smart decisions in the future. 86% of students agreed that “this class has given me enough information to help me make good decisions in high school about drinking.”
2. Ask, Listen, Learn increases conversations between kids and adults by 51%. Results show how a strong and consistent increase in communications between students and adult family members as a result of the curriculum.
3. Students gain critical knowledge on how alcohol affects the developing brain through Ask, Listen, Learn. 74% of students believe they could effectively explain to a friend how drinking alcohol affects the brain.
