Parent Project starts Jan. 8 - Register NOW!!

Most of us in the field, working with high-risk youth know that parent involvement is the key to behavior change with adolescents. Yet, effectively educating parents in basic behavioral strategies is time consuming and repetitive. The Parent Project® is a parent training program designed for parents of strong-willed adolescents.  Since 2003, more than 250 parents and their adolescents have attended Parent Project in Wood County and they report that there is important information in Parent Project classes for parents of all teens.   

Topics include reducing family conflict and arguing, improving school performance and attendance, identifying and intervening with alcohol and other drug abuse, interceding with negative peer associations (including inappropriate dating relationships) and helping parents to set clear, consistent rules with enforceable consequences. Parents who attend the Parent Project® are more likely to see positive behavior changes as parents understand and practice  powerful Parent Project interventions at home. The motto of the Parent Project® is “Parents are the answer … when they have the tools they need.”

Presented in an educational format, parents are trained for a low fee of $20 for the accompanying 180-page workbook. Youth ages 12-18 are also invited to attend a separate class at no additional cost.  If the entire course is completed and the parent has attended all of the required sessions, the $20 fee will be refunded. Parents attend 18 hours of instruction for a cost of less than one session of private counseling.

Here are some comments from a family that completed Parent Project in the fall of 2011:

The information we learned from the sessions is priceless!   Each session was full of information and techniques designed to help deal with a variety of issues and situations that we are faced with on a daily basis.  This class has empowered us to make positive changes in our family dynamics.  After the first session we were so excited to learn more.  We began to implement the techniques immediately and saw results right away. We continued to learn and use the tools given to us.  By the end of the last session we were feeling more confident that we were definitely on our way to becoming better parents, and raising respectful well adjusted teenagers!   Following the guidelines we were given has definitely resulted in a more positive and happy environment at our house.    Words could not express the appreciation we feel for the opportunity to have attended these classes.   We would highly recommend The Parent Project to all parents!  

The next session will be held Tuesday evenings from Jan. 8 through March 10 at the Glenwood Elementary School, 8950 Avenue Rd., Perrysburg, OH, 43551. The first two classes will run from 6 to 9 p.m. The remainder of the classes run from at 6 to 8 p.m.

For more information or to register, contact Lorrie Lewandowski at 419-354-9010, ext. 113 or by e-mail at llewandowski@wcesc.org.

You also can find more information and register by visiting www.parentproject.com and click on “find a class in your area” in the top right-hand corner.

The New Cool Contest starts Oct. 1

Do you want to win some cool prizes, like an iPod Touch, a digital camera package, or free movie tickets?

Here is your chance. Next week, students in Wood County will be able to participate in The New Cool contest. Here are the details and all of the official rules:

• The 5-day Contest will run October 1^st -5^th.
• Students between the ages of 12 and 18 who lives in Wood County or attends a school district in Wood County are eligible for the contest.
• Each day, participating students will be required to provide their first and last name, school district, grade, age, email and cell phone number for winner notification. To make sure the winner attends a Wood County school we will verify enrollment of each winner.
• Each day of the contest, a question will be posted between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. The questions will require the student to search the website to find the answer. The answer(s) to all of the questions can be found somewhere on www.thenewcool.info Web site. Once the question is posted, students have until 7 a.m. the following morning to answer it. A new question will be posted  each day of the contest. The correct answers will be posted on the The New Cool Web site on Monday, October 8.
• Only one correct answer per student per day will be entered in the drawing, allowing students to have as many as 5 entries for the week. Names of the five winners will be chosen at the Red Ribbon Kick-off luncheon on October 19. Winners will be notified by phone, or by e-mail. One prize per contestant. Once a prize is awarded, it cannot be traded for a different prize. If a student’s name is chosen a second time, a new winning name will be chosen for the next available prize.
• Prizes will consist of: an Apple iPod Touch, a digital camera package, four general admission tickets to a BGSU hockey, football or basketball game of your choice (up to $80 total value, not valid on “premium” games), a $50 gift card to Wal-Mart, and two passes to the Levis Commons Movie Theater. An additional 50 New Cool bookbags will also be given away.
• Winners whose names are chosen will be awarded prizes in the order in which the names are chosen, matched with the order in which the prizes are listed above. If for any reason a student is found to be ineligible, a replacement winner will be chosen from the remaining names.
• Winners will be required to claim their prize from the Wood County Educational Service Center, 1867 N. Research Dr., Bowling Green, OH, during regular business hours by October 31, unless other arrangements are made. Winners will be required to sign a form indicating they received the prize.
• Family members of ATOD staff will not be allowed to participate.
• Prizes are subject to change at the discretion of ESC staff.

For more information, or to participate, visit www.thenewcool.info.

Incredible Years starts Oct. 2

Parenting can be tough. So can being a kid.

The Children's Resource Center, Bowling Green, The Incredible Years training beginning October 2, at First United Methodist Church, 1506 E. Wooster St., Bowling Green.

At the Incredible Years parent training:

• Promotes positive parenting strategies
• Supports children's development
• Provide strategies in managing children's behavior

All parent participants will receive on-site child care, a light meal, completion certificates, and an extended support network.

The 14-week classes will be held each Tuesday beginning Oct. 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. To register for this session, contact Angie Patchen at Children's Resource Center at (419) 352-7588 or 1-888-466-KIDS. Register soon, as space is limited.

Parent Project starts Sept. 18

Most of us in the field, working with high-risk youth know that parent involvement is the key to behavior change with adolescents. Yet, effectively educating parents in basic behavioral strategies can be both time-consuming and repetitive. This is not the case with the Parent Project®, a parent training program designed for parents of strong-willed adolescents. Since 2003, nearly 250 parents and their adolescents have attended Parent Project in Wood County and they report that there is important information in Parent Project classes for parents of all teens.    

Topics include reducing family conflict and arguing, improving school performance and attendance, identifying and intervening with alcohol and other drug abuse, interceding with negative peer associations (including inappropriate dating relationships) and helping parents to set clear, consistent rules with enforceable consequences. Parents who attend the Parent Project® are more likely to see their child’s attendance at school improve, and to require less school-based disciplinary resources as parents find powerful interventions at home with which to bring about change in their children’s behavior. The motto of the Parent Project® is “Parents are the answer … when they have the tools they need.”

Presented in an educational format, parents are trained for a low fee of $20 for the accompanying workbook. Youth ages 12-18 are also invited to attend a separate class at no additional cost. If the entire course is completed and the parent has attended all of the required sessions, the $20 fee will be refunded. Parents attend 18 hours of instruction for a cost of less than one session of private counseling.

Here are some comments from a family that completed Parent Project in the fall of 2011:

The information we learned from the sessions is priceless!   Each session was full of information and techniques designed to help deal with a variety of issues and situations that we are faced with on a daily basis.  This class has empowered us to make positive changes in our family dynamics.  After the first session we were so excited to learn more.  We began to implement the techniques immediately and saw results right away. We continued to learn and use the tools given to us.  By the end of the last session we were feeling more confident that we were definitely on our way to becoming better parents, and raising respectful well -adjusted teenagers!  Following the guidelines we were given has definitely resulted in a more positive and happy environment at our house.  Words could not express the appreciation we feel for the opportunity to have attended these classes.   We would highly recommend The Parent Project to all parents!  

The next session will be held Tuesday evenings from Sept. 18 through Nov. 20 at the Wood County Educational Service Center, 1867 N. Research Dr. Bowling Green. The first two classes are held from 6 to 9 pm with the remaining sessions taking place from 6 to 8 pm.

For more information or to register, contact Lorrie Lewandowski at 419-354-9010, ext. 113 or by e-mail at llewandowski@wcesc.org.

You also can find more information and register by visiting www.parentproject.com and click on “find a class in your area” in the top right-hand corner.

Lorrie Lewandowski honored

Lorrie Lewandowski, coordinator/supervisor of the School and Community-Based ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug) Prevention Program, was honored by ADAPAO (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio) during their annual meeting May 2.

She was presented with the Member of the Year Award, which is presented to an ADAPAO member for exemplary contributions to ADAPAO and its membership through service to or on behalf of the association.

Lewandowski is the immediate past-president of ADAPAO, and her long tenure on the board of directors ended last June. Since her board “retirement,” Lorrie has represented ADAPAO in several formal settings, as well as provided behind-the-scenes support to the association.

She has continued to serve on ADAPAO’s Education & Training Committee and over the last year, also served as ADAPAO’s official representative on state committees, and was also part of an ADAPAO team that met with ODADAS Director Orman Hall in November to discuss prevention. 

Also awarded during the event were Thomas Kelechi, Rick Oliver, Karen Pierce, and Robin Seymour-Hicks.

“We are extremely proud to showcase the tremendous efforts and achievements of these five individuals,” said Andrea Hoff, president of ADAPAO. “Their commitment to prevention is helping create healthier communities for all Ohioans.”

Hoff noted that the ADAPAO Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious honors within Ohio’s alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse prevention arena. ADAPAO began presenting the awards in 1988. The recipients have included professionals within the prevention field as well as educators, community members, and government officials.

ADAPAO is a membership association of Ohioans championing the advancement of alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention. The association serves as “the voice of prevention” in the state, advocating on behalf of prevention to the Ohio Legislature, state agencies, and the general public. The association also provides education and training opportunities in prevention, and networks prevention advocates throughout the state to increase communication and idea exchange.

ADAPAO’s signature event is its annual one-day conference, which also serves as the setting for the awards presentation. This year’s conference, held May 2 at The River Club at Confluence Park in Columbus, focused on issues ranging from the prevention of opiate abuse and addiction and synthetic drugs to advocating an FDA approach to the issue of marijuana as medicine. Nearly 125 prevention professionals, advocates and supporters from around the state attended the annual conference

2012 ADAMHS Youth Survey results released

The 2012 ADAMHS Youth Survey results have been released. Please click here to view the report. If you have any questions, please contact Lorrie Lewandowski at (419) 354-9010, or e-mail Bill Ivoska, who assembled the report at ivoska@bex.net.

ESC participates in safety fair

The Wood County Safety Fair was put on by the Wood County Hospital. A 5-K race was also included in the day. There where numerous display tables covering such topics as water safety, nature & wildlife, electricity, nutrition, and physical activity. 

Chloe Keaton

The Wood County Educational Service Center's School and Community-Based ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug) Prevention Program also had an information booth highlighting their programming and The New Cool media campaign.


A gift basket offered as a raffle prize during the event was won by Chloe Keaton, of Bowling Green. The basket included healthy cracker snacks, stress balls, Frisbees, make-your-own flowerpot, and a $20.00 gift certificate to Wal-Mart. 

Each child that walked through the fair received a raffle ticket for a chance to win a variety of prizes.