FY 2008 Awardee: Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior among College Students

The Secretary of Education identified a national need to address high-risk drinking and violent behavior among college students. This grant competition’s goal is to provide funds to individual institutions of higher education, consortia thereof, public and private organizations, including faith-based organizations, and individuals to develop or enhance, implement, and evaluate campus- and/or community-based prevention and early intervention strategies. Grantees focus attention on and develop solutions to prevent and reduce high-risk drinking or violent behavior among college students.

St. John’s University
Project Director: Kathryn Hutchinson

This project will utilize many of the evidence-based prevention strategies outlined in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) 3-in-1 framework. The combination of an online prevention program initiated during Freshman Orientation, classroom transition labs, and a multimedia campaign directed to students will address the first level of the NIAAA framework. Parents will be educated and engaged in prevention strategies in a consistent and informed manner to address the second level of the framework. A social marketing campaign completely designed and created by students will address the second and third levels of the framework. Additional strategies will be implemented to engage university and community partners in a strategic alliance to create an environment that supports the reduction of high-risk drinking among the university’s students.