A public service announcement created by Troy University students has won first place in the fourth annual Red Ribbon Week Campus Video PSA National Contest.
The contest was sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as a part of Red Ribbon Week activities. Colleges and universities that entered produced a 30- to 60-second anti-drug video public service announcement, focusing on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse among college students.
The video featured members from the student-led organization Trojan Outreach, a peer-led education organization within Troy University’s Student Services division that is committed to promoting and influencing a culture that is focused on health, wellness and safety by empowering and engaging the campus community to make healthy decisions.
During the PSA, students urged their peers struggling with addiction to get help.
Trojan Outreach leaders learned about the contest through a promotional email. They thought creating a video would be the perfect way to spread an antidrug message to fellow students.
“Trojan Outreach wanted to highlight the reality of substance misuse among college students and provide a platform of support to students working to overcome substance-abuse-related issues,” said Kimbrlei McCain, outreach and substance intervention coordinator. “Trojan Outreach truly believes in the power of community, and we wanted to encourage all Trojans to reach out to those who may need support.”
The winning entry was announced during the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ 2020 Strategies Conference. As the winning campus, Troy University received a first-place plaque and $3,000 to support the campus’ drug abuse prevention efforts. McCain and fellow Trojan Outreach member Riley Jacks were on hand to receive the award.
“Our peer educators are extremely passionate and dedicated to the health and wellness of the student community,” McCain said. “To receive recognition on a national level really added to the legitimacy of their work and highlighted the skills they bring to our campus.”
This story originally appeared on Troy University’s website.
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)
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