Project HOPE and Substance Abuse - Moscow

A programme coordinator and an expert on substance abuse in Russia worked with a team of consultants to create a curriculum that focuses on the prevention of alcohol and tobacco use, while presenting lessons in a culturally relevant and sensitive manner. During this time the structure and content of the materials developed. By March 1998, the materials called "Useful Habits" were refined and improved using pilot lessons and focus groups. In all, 22 pilot lessons and nine focus groups were conducted. HOPE created a final version of "Useful Habits", which includes 32 lessons and more than 150 worksheets for students. During the second year of the programme, other regions began to participate in Useful Habits. Regions allocated funds for training and implementation of the program. Students in St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Volgograd, Nosbosibirsk, Tumenskaya Oblast and the Republic of Khakassia participated in the program. In total 6657 student and 261 teachers took part in Useful Habits implementation. Today, the program continues to expand. HOPE has implemented the curriculum in all 127 schools of the northern district of Moscow and the Moscow Committee of Education issued approval for full implementation of the curriculum throughout Moscow. Project HOPE staff organized and conducted a montage of training seminars for principals and teachers of public schools in the northern region in the fall of 1999. At that time the teachers became acquainted with the curriculum and trained in its implementation. HOPE disseminated the curriculum and the materials to all 127 schools and monitored the implementation jointly with The Committee of Education. Project HOPE is now providing electronic versions of "Useful Habits" to schools throughout the country.

Children, Health, Drug abuse, Alcohol abuse, Tobacco.

The Moscow Committee of Education and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation approved the curriculum and a Moscow publishing house professionally designed and printed the programme. In October and November 1998, HOPE's Programme Coordinator began training seminars for the teachers who would be implementing the curriculum in the five pilot schools. The students in the pilot programme evaluated their knowledge and attitudes about substance abuse before and after the programme. The results indicated a significant improvement in children's attitudes toward substance abuse.

As with the five pilot schools in year 2, in year 3 HOPE conducted a pre-and post-implementation outcome evaluation throughout schools of the northern area. Beyond the third year, the Moscow Committee of Education and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation would then be granted the right to use the HOPE curriculum as part of their life safety education in all the schools of Moscow as well as to all Russia.