Gate - About - RADICAL

Reducing Abuse of Drugs by Interrupting Crime through Awareness and Learning

About the R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Program

As we continually look for new innovative ways to address teenage issues, specifically involving gangs, drugs, violence and at-risk behavior. Because of this on going mission and extensive surveys of students, parents, instructors, teachers and police officers, it became apparent that there was an area of prevention education that was lacking. That area was identified to being High School students. The high school curriculum addresses a multitude of at-risk issues and behaviors that teens all across America and the World face every day.

The RADICAL format follows the same flexibility that the other G.A.T.E. programs do. Allowing the instructors to teach which lessons, they feel impact their particular school and community. What lessons that may be necessary for rural America will not necessarily apply to urban America.

America today, all too frequently our young people do not see the need to be leaders. They are happy to follow another person’s example. Young adults today do not see the necessity of stepping up and doing things, for reasons of virtue or integrity. Terms such as those are alien to many young adults. R.A.D.I.C.A.L. will strive to address these issues. The program will address the issues, and attempt to show young people the need to be in front as a leader instead of as a follower.
RADICAL's 12 lessons offer a wide range of opportunities for young people to deal with issues such as drugs, gambling, gangs, internet safety and dating violence. Each lesson is designed to be taught via interactive media using Microsoft PowerPoint to deliver a visual medium to High School Youth. Since teens are so visually stimulated via the internet, media such as movies and video games presenting the lessons in this format has the greatest amount of impact. Although the lessons can be taught in a non-multimedia format, they have their best results when used that way.

RADICAL's Objectives

Objective #1

High School aged youths are in a very unique situation, old enough at times to be aware that certain behavior is wrong, without the actual information to back up those beliefs. This makes many youths vulnerable to miss information and potential injury. Based on this, lesson plans will be designed to de-mystify and de-bunk myths and miss information that is passed down from student to student.

Objective #2

To foster a nurturing desire for responsibility through effective and guided leadership skills to prepare young people to become adults. Many of today's youth prefer to sit back and allow others to make decisions. In todays push button, immediate gratification society it is extremely difficult to teach young people to learn to "earn", or delay their own personal gratification through hard work. All too often those decisions have tragic results. By promoting responsibility through active leadership, students will recognize when they should lead, especially at critical times.

Objective #3

Respect, many teens bandied about the word respect without truly understanding the concept as it is truly defined. Many teens look at respect as something they should automatically receive, but yet that they do not have to give. Lessons on respect will reinforce both aspects and show young people how this is a two way street.

Objective #4

To promote understanding of the laws, process of laws and why laws are important to society. Included in this lesson young people will understand that laws can be changed for the greater good through appropriate means and that laws are not designed to inhibit one single person, but society as a whole.