The SADD Club at Chester High School in Illinois has found a faculty sponsor for this year, reports Cheslli Cumberland in The Sting student paper.
Despite the club’s popularity at Chester and at many other schools in Illinois and across the country, the “Students Against Destructive Decisions” Club had no faculty sponsor as of a sign-up assembly. Sophia Durbin stepped up.
When Cheslli asked Ms Durbin what made her want to sponsor the club, she said she couldn’t say no. “Students wanted SADD to come back—it is such a nice group,” she was quoted as saying.
SADD is a national nonprofit organization, based in Washington, DC, on a mission to “empower and mobilize students and adult allies to engage in positive change through leadership and smart decision-making,” according to its website. “Our mission is accomplished by creating, equipping, and sustaining a network of student-run chapters in schools and communities focused on peer-to-peer education. SADD fosters a sense of belonging and promotes resiliency, leadership, and advocacy skills so that young people make positive life decisions that will carry them throughout life.”
The organization structures its mission around four pillars:
- Mobility safety (driving)
- Substance use (alcohol, marijuana, prescription & illicit drugs, tobacco)
- Personal health & safety (mental health, relationships, online safety)
- Leadership development
SADD’s website claims it serves 32 million students through 8,000 middle school, high school, and college chapters.
