It takes courage to say you are not going to participate in underage drinking. It takes moral courage to tell others not to do the same. This was the message imparted at the leadership training for the Poway Unified School District, facilitated by Kay Augustine, National Faculty member, and Wendy Haverman. Both trainers are from the Institute of Character Development at Drake University in Des Moines. "Poway USD, located just outside of San Diego, has received a grant for the development of a student-leadership cadre to focus on reducing the use and abuse of alcohol in underage drinkers," according to Kay. CC! provided the leadership session on December 5, 2005.

Students from four Poway high schools participated in the program. The training consisted of reinforcing the Six Pillars and placing the framework within the context of alcohol education. In order to instill leadership capabilities, active listening and facilitation skills were presented. The student response was very positive, as indicated in the scenario portion of the training. Students were able to clearly define how situations relative to teenage drinking should be handled. They will take this knowledge back to their school sites and make a difference.