Up2U is a powerful high school student assembly, using real-life scenarios and live presentations to impart the far-reaching consequences of drug and alcohol abuse to teens, and the importance of choice in their lives.
The professionally produced program outlines the dangers and choices open to teens, and the physical and emotional impact that their decision-making has, not only on themselves, but on others around them, whether peers, family, professionals or others.
The high-impact one-hour event uses a mixture of customized video elements and live presenters who are or have been directly affected by drug abuse scenarios, including emergency services and healthcare professionals, recovering addicts and family members of drug abuse victims.
The event puts the audience face-to-face with the issues and outcomes of drug and alcohol abuse, ranging from illegal substances to prescription medications and household items.
The 45 minute assembly can be run several times during the school class schedule, and requires the use of the school’s own theater facility, supplemented as necessary with equipment brought in by our production team.
All logistics are handled by our team, in partnership with the school administration, to ensure minimal disruption to class schedules, and the best impact for the audience. Follow up questionnaires are created to ascertain the effectiveness of the program, and to take the issues back into the classroom for onward discussion.
The Up2U assemblies have now been experienced by over 7,000 students in high schools around the Bay Area, and we are planning future events in 2018 to get the important message across.
Please contact us if you are interested in bringing the program to your school.
The event is localized to each school, through creation of a stylized opening Statistics video featuring students from that particular school, giving familiarity to the audience through their peers, and bringing the message closer to home.
A key part of the Up2U program is the running of a Parents’ Assembly during the evening of the school assemblies. This gives the parents a similar experience to their children, and importantly incorporates an additional presentation by a specialist drug abuse counselor, who outlines the trends, dangers and warning signs associated with teen drug and alcohol abuse. This is followed by a Question & Answer session with all the presenters, which has proved to be a valuable part to the program, creating awareness among parents.
The Up2U assembly program has been running since 2009 when it was conceived for Monte Vista High School, Danville, California following a tragic drug abuse incident involving a recently-graduated student.
The program has been repeated since then at Monte Vista High School in Danville and Acalanes High School in Lafayette. The innovative format has also created interest from farther afield, and we hope to spread the reach of the program to a wider audience.
Each assembly is video-recorded and edited into a program for use by the school, to cascade the assembly to students unable to attend. Schools conduct a questionnaire survey to students following the event, to capture their thoughts on what they’ve experienced, and provide follow up materials to ensure the message is part of ongoing discussion and action.
“Seeing how fast some of these situations happen just scared me and made me realize that one moment everything can seem so fine, and then from one wrong decision...it could all be taken away from you.”
-Student, Acalanes High School
“It was very effective. I've seen a bunch of presentations like these, but they've been taken kind of lightly and were not as professional. They weren't as moving and convincing as this was.”
-Student, Acalanes High School
“Every time I'm at a party, this will be in the back of my mind. I'll take that 5 seconds to think, is it really that worth it?”
-Student, Monte Vista High School
“These are choices that I need to make for the rest of my life and will affect if I'm here tomorrow, so yeah, it definitely will affect what choices I make.”
-Student, Monte Vista High School
"I wish they could make parents have to come to this. Our parents and our community need this."
-Parent of a Monte Vista High School Student
Andy MacKay
20/20 Productions Inc.
350 Townsend St. Suite #425
San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: 415 546 2020
Email: info@up2uassembly.com
© 20/20 Productions Inc.
