Student-athletes are integrally involved in all of the 11 programs at NCAA institutions selected this year to receive CHOICES program grants.

The grants, totaling more than $300,000, bring to 128 the number of grants awarded since the CHOICES program began in 1991. About $2.6 million has been awarded to institutions since then.

Recipients of the latest grants are: Calvin College; Davis and Elkins College; Denison University; Humboldt State University; Loras College; University of Iowa; University of Mississippi; University of North Dakota; St. Bonaventure University; St. John Fisher College; and Winona State University.

Grants are awarded on a three-year basis. The maximum amount of the grant awards decreases from $15,000 the first year to $10,000 the second year and $5,000 the third year. The approach is designed to encourage the institution to assume greater responsibility for maintaining the program.

The CHOICES program seeks to encourage NCAA institutions and conferences to implement and evaluate effective alcohol-education programs. Funded programs are designed to work toward the elimination of high-risk consumption of alcohol on college campuses by promoting low-risk choices.

The use of alcohol by college students who are under the legal drinking age and the heavy use of alcohol by students for whom alcohol is a legal substance continue to concern program administrators.

The NCAA awards CHOICES grants with support from an original gift from Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. The NCAA education services group is responsible for administering CHOICES. Most of the 11 newly funded programs feature peer-education components in which student-athletes and other students receive training to provide leadership to teammates and classmates in developing policies, raising awareness and conducting campus-prevention programs.

Many of the programs also feature such elements as media campaigns, community outreach and events offering alternatives to alcohol use. All of the programs have characteristics that have been common in CHOICES projects: They are campus-wide in focus and are built around athletics events, activities and/or integrate student-athletes in the program implementation. All also emphasize, in some way, the choices students must make about alcohol use.

As a strategy integrated into many of their CHOICES prevention plans, schools also are reinforcing the healthy choices that most students make when it comes to alcohol use.

A brief description of each project is provided below.

Application forms for CHOICES grants to be awarded in 2004 will be mailed to member institutions in October. The forms and grant guidelines will be sent to athletics directors, chief executive officers and directors of student affairs. The deadline for applications will be in February 2004.

Calvin College

CALVIN CHOICES

Focuses on educating a team of student-athlete leaders on alcohol use, then using that team as peer educators.

Student-athlete leaders help provide alcohol-free programming and activities for the entire student body.

Program provides social-norming mass-media campaign to address student misperceptions of alcohol use and abuse at Calvin.

Adds a component to an existing campus curriculum to encourage students to examine their alcohol use.

Davis and Elkins College

SENATORS MAKING CHOICES

Provides a substantial programmatic approach to alcohol awareness/education and to the reduction of abusive drinking behavior.

Educational programming and alternative alcohol-free activities promote the development of responsible social behavior.

For those students who elect to drink, programming will emphasize the nature of responsible, safe, legal and reasonable choices.

Peer educators will be selected from among student-athlete leaders to implement the program.

Denison University

U-DU HAVE CHOICES

Seeks to educate and empower student-athletes not only to make healthier choices regarding alcohol use if they are 21 and older but also to serve as role models and peer educators for all students.

Program will expand upon existing efforts, research and current university practices to address the problems associated with alcohol abuse.

Presents an innovative set of strategies and methods to challenge and redefine ongoing campus norms.

Uses prevention activities that strengthen and reinforce positive institutional, cultural and social norms.

Humboldt State University

CHOICES AND CHANGES

Program challenges and corrects existing misperceptions about alcohol use and abuse by informing students and increasing the realization that most students of legal age do not drink, or they drink in a moderate, low-risk manner.

Social-norms campaign will be implemented at athletics events.

The project will expand alcohol-related interventions and help the university connect (through athletics events) with a significant segment of the population that existing efforts do not reach.

University of Iowa

HARD CHOICES/EASY CHOICES

Reaches individuals and groups through educational programs that feature cognitive-behavior skills with norms clarification and motivation en-
hancement that partners student-athletes with other segments of the student body.

Uses athletics events to market a social-norming campaign to correct misperceptions about alcohol use and abuse, as well as to increase awareness about university policies and Iowa City drinking laws.

Co-sponsors (along with other campus agencies) alcohol-free events connected with home football games and other occasions during the year, particularly in the first weeks of each semester.

Loras College

SMART CHOICES FOR PRINCIPLED THINKERS

Seeks to educate and train program developers, the college's student-athlete advisory council and the coaching staff regarding alcohol use and abuse on college campuses.

Uses social-norming statistics, higher education literature about alcohol and college student leadership development theory as a foundation.

Trains and uses student-athlete leaders who become role models for responsible behavior.

Facilitates campus-wide collaboration in order to change the existing culture of acceptance in favor of accountability regarding alcohol use.

University of Mississippi

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI CHOICES

Implements a social-norming strategy to provide accurate information to all students about drinking behaviors on campus.

Uses advertising campaign through television, radio and newspapers to target selected audiences.

Messages will be delivered through announcements at athletics events, bulletin boards, pizza-box-top distribution, athletics ticket give-aways, etc.

Program designed based upon an alcohol-behavior study at the university in 2000.

University of North Dakota

POSITIVE PARTIE CHOICES

Positive Partie (Prevention of Alcohol Risks Through Intervention and Education) seeks to reduce alcohol misuse and abuse at North Dakota by reducing the number of students who engage in high-risk drinking behavior.

Conducts a media campaign, designed by North Dakota students, which uses positive aspects of the university's athletics program to change behavior.

"I pass on getting trashed" and "Getting wasted is a waste" will serve as catch phrases for the social-marketing campaign to discourage alcohol abuse. Student-athlete leaders and other campus leaders who do not abuse alcohol will serve as spokespersons.

St. Bonaventure University

WINNING CHOICES

The program is a collaboration among students, the St. Bonaventure athletics department, residence life, academic affairs and the health and counseling center. Those entities will design, implement and assess all programs through a student-led panel.

Introduces peer discussion of immediate and lifelong drinking choices into campus and academic programs.

Maintains a highly visible educational presence in campus activities and media that will continue beyond the grant period.

St. John Fisher College

CHOICES FOR A HEALTHY COLLEGE CAMPUS

Promotes health-oriented choices regarding decisions students need to make about alcohol use.

Targets high-risk individual behaviors, including those of at-risk or alcohol-dependent drinkers.

Partners with community leaders to address behavior in a more comprehensive manner. Current community program attempts to reduce underage drinking by increasing protective measures within the community, such as increasing awareness of where underage students obtain their alcohol.

Uses campus student-athlete advisory committee members to address perceptions of drinking behavior on campus.