The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Keeping kids off drugs
Milan Middle School participates in Reality Check program
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 1, 2007
The message that middle-schoolers need to stay away from drugs and alcohol isn't new.
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But the way one Washtenaw County program is delivering that message to students at Milan Middle School certainly is.
Reality Check, an Internet-based anti-drug and alcohol program, is on the verge of launching an update to its Web site www.myrealitycheck.org as part of its continuing efforts to keep Milan middle school students away from drugs.
Michele Baukema of the Washtenaw County Public Health Department, which administers the program, says that the Web site is the key component in a multi-faceted approach to drug education.
"We're going to go back in and reintroduce the Web site to sixth-graders," Baukema said of a series of upcoming workshops and "Web site tours" scheduled for Milan Middle School.
"What we're providing is media literacy education. We want students to be critical of the (advertising) media they see. Advertising for alcohol and tobacco is around them all the time. We want them to be critical consumers and give them the skills to counteract those messages."
Milan Middle School Principal William Brown has been a strong supporter of the program since its inception three years ago and believes the program's innovative approach is effective in reaching students.
"(The Internet) is a major mode of communication that students use," he said. "I think it's successful because it uses a lot of Web site-based education. The students are confident using it … it's presented at their level of understanding."
Part of that confidence comes from the variety of features available on the Web site. Students can do anything from play games to look up frequently-asked drug questions to respond to poll questions. By using the Web site –– and their student-specific ID and password –– students can accumulate "Reality Bucks," which can be redeemed through the program for prizes. One contest could even award students an iPod.
Baukema said those kinds of incentives have been "very successful" at keeping students interested.
"It keeps the kids coming back," she said. "The idea is to give them a reason to check the Web site regularly. We try to update it frequently so that each time a student logs on, they're seeing something new."
One of the most innovative parts of the Reality Check program is its use of Milan High School mentors to give personal answers to middle school students who have questions they might not ask elsewhere. The mentors post short profiles of themselves on the Web site, and can receive e-mailed questions after a quick approval from the site administrators.
The system not only gives middle school students a link to high school role models and a chance to ask specific questions in a confidential format, but it gives Milan High students a chance to give something back to the community.
"It's just nice to be part of something special like this," said Milan mentor Merchell Hunt. "There are so many things we can do to help the next generation and this is one of them. It gives me a chance to change someone's life."
The role of mentors is likely to only increase in the site's forthcoming update, which Baukema said will make the site "more sophisticated" and easier to use without sacrificing any of the many features it offers. The update also will enhance the parents' site, which features drug-related news updates and advice on how parents can speak to their children about drugs and alcohol.
A recent grant will enable Reality Check to continue serving Milan and the other four school systems working with the project for the next three years. That's good news for principals like Brown who have seen the benefits of the project in action.
"What I've seen is that students are more comfortable about asking advice," he said. "It's made it OK to talk about the subject and I'm glad to see it continue."
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