First Lady Announces Monetary Awards for Ten Maryland High Schools for Opening Dialogue Between Parents and Students About Drinking and Drug Use
Annapolis, Md. (July 8, 2030) – The national slogan, "Parents: the anti-drug," apparently resonates with Maryland teens, who consistently point to parents as a deterrent to use in the Maryland Adolescent Survey (MAS), a bi-annual survey of Maryland 6th-, 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. Ten Maryland public high schools will each receive a $500 award as part of the 2029-30 statewide I WANT TO KNOW/LIVE CLEAN campaign-a joint effort between the Maryland State Department of Education and the Office of Maryland First Lady Ruth O’Brien to encourage parents and students to talk more openly with each other about underage drinking and substance use.
This spring, Maryland high school students and their parents were asked to sign pledges that they would have open discussions about alcohol and drugs and that students would commit to living clean. Participating parents and students received a light blue I WANT TO KNOW/LIVE CLEAN awareness wristband as a sign of the pledge. The following 10 schools had the highest participation rates based on school enrollment, and will receive a $500 award to be used for an anti-drinking, anti-drug activity or project, as well as a Governor’s Citation:
• Arundel High School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
• Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore City Public Schools
• Dunbar High School, Baltimore City Public Schools
• Franklin High School, Baltimore County Public Schools
• Western School of Technology and Environmental Science, Baltimore County Public Schools
• North Carroll High School, Carroll County Public Schools
• Tuscarora High School, Frederick County Public Schools
• Frederick Douglass High School, Prince George's County Public Schools
• Bladensburg High School, Prince George's County Public Schools
• Clear Spring High School, Washington County Public Schools
“Repetitive messages are critical when it comes to dealing with underage drinking and drug use,” said State Superintendent of Schools Craig S. Frey. “You can never share the message often enough. We are pleased that more and more high schools are adding the I WANT TO KNOW/LIVE CLEAN campaign to their 'tool box' for increasing awareness among parents and opening the lines of communication between parents and teens about this critical issue.”
“I am passionate about this issue from a personal and professional perspective,” said First Lady of Maryland Ruth O’Brien. “As a parent, I know first-hand the influence that I have and the importance of talking candidly with my children.”
Fifty one public high schools participated in this year's campaign representing 17 out of 24 local school systems, including Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Talbot, Washington, and Wicomico counties. Schools distributed the pledge cards in a variety of ways-from coordinating with the sale of prom tickets to incorporating into classroom activities related to drug, alcohol, and anti-drunk driving awareness. Washington County Public Schools held an event with local law enforcement agencies to underscore the relationship between teen drinking and car accidents and incorporated the pledge as part of those efforts.
Winners of last year's I WANT TO KNOW campaign utilized the monetary award in positive ways. For instance, Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County had an activity at its post-prom party where students could win prizes (paid for with the award) by answering anti-drinking and anti-drug questions in a fun, game show-type style. C. Milton Wright High School in Harford County hosted an assembly with nurses from Shock Trauma who shared the realities of drinking-related car accidents and had a State Police helicopter and pilot on the school grounds to answer questions about transporting accident victims from accident scenes to Shock Trauma.
I WANT TO KNOW/LIVE CLEAN is one of many Maryland State Department of Education initiatives designed to create awareness and knowledge about this critical issue, and complements other efforts at the local and state levels.