What do young people who learn in school about
why there is an opioid crisis in their community have to say about their
experience? I had the chance to find out
in a recent visit to South Webster High School in the Bloom-Vernon School
District in Appalachian Ohio.
I developed a relationship with the school
through the Appalachian Higher Education Network and recently posted several
blogs describing the problem-based approach the two high school teachers – Judy
Ellsesser and Cyndy Hykes - are taking as well as identify the follow-up actions of students.
South Webster High is in the southeast corner
of Ohio -- in the middle of Appalachia -- about 20 miles north of Portsmouth. Its
students are all white and 55.7% disadvantaged. Portsmouth and surrounding
Scioto County remain an epicenter of the opioid crisis. Members of the class studying opioids started
by reading Sam Quinones book, Dreamland,
and also spoke with local officials dealing with the problem.
I have organized the reflections
of junior and senior high school students into categories, occasionally edited for clarity. Inevitably in
blogs like this everyone’s words cannot be included; my apologies to students
whose words are not here. All of your
views are important.
Most students knew little
about the opioid crisis before the class (Knowing and Knowledge Changes Perception
and Perspective)
I never knew much about
the opioid problem because my family was never affected by it. Now I know that
even though my family does not do drugs, we are still affected because we are a
part of this community.
Coming from a sheltered
life where everyone wears rose colored glasses learning about this crisis was
extremely enlightening and has inspired me to try and do something small in my
own community.
Learning about this crisis has been enlightening because
I never knew much about the epidemic. But now I have learned it was affecting not only the user, but everyone else in the community too, and that has inspired me to want to help the community.”
“This unit has changed many perspectives including my own and has inspired many in our community
to strive to make a change. I feel that this is more powerful than any drug awareness or prevention activity ever attempted in this community and that is something to be proud of.
Some Students Had Direct
Experience with Opioids; Their Peers Did Not Know This
(You Cannot Make
Assumptions about Problems and their Impact)
I realize that not
everyone was aware of the problem in our community. Since some of my family is
involved in drugs I’ve known of this problem since 2011 so this class gave me a
perspective from those people who hadn’t
known it was a problem.
Coming from a big family,
but only knowing a small portion of them due to drugs, this showed me more in depth
how my parents have kept me out of the bad things going on. Now, this opioid
unit has shown me just how much I was being blinded from It. That made me want
to make a change in this world that much more and that is what I plan to
continue doing.”
I have always been aware
of the problem in my family but I never could’ve imagined it being as big of an
issue as it actually is.
Students Learned about
the Value of Community (Working Together is the Key)
I learned the importance
of community and coming together. We need to work against the drug epidemic as
a whole, not as individuals.
It was powerful and it
helped all of us learn how the crisis affects us and what we can do to try to
make a difference in the community.
We can come together as a
community and work together. I feel like it has made us all closer and want to
work together as a team to make the community great.
The teachers have shown
us how much they care about students in our community and about our education.
This unit has touched hearts and opened the eyes of many students including me.
I am a part of the Big Buddies Program because I believe it is important to
reach out and build relationships in our community starting with the young
generations.
Students Begin to See
Themselves as Change Agents (Young People Can Make a Difference)
We cannot control the
problem, but we can make a positive change. We are the change; we can change
the world.
We have all grown
tremendously in almost every way possible…I have learned so much and it has
inspired me to be a person of change for our community.
Even though we are in
high school, we can make a change in our community.
We Can’t Turn Our Backs (Remain
Compassionate while Taking Action)
I have learned not be as
dismissive of those suffering from addiction. People from all walks of life can
fall into the throes of addiction. It is not just weak willed people unable to
resist being tempted by the drugs they take. It is people ranging from what
would be considered the dregs of society to those who stand as shining pillars
in communities. Nobody's safe and nobody is spared just because they have
status or wealth.
We can’t just turn our
backs on people. People who suffer from addiction need a strong support system,
and we can’t just leave them to die. Everybody matters; it’s everyone or no
one.
People who are addicted
aren't the only ones to blame. [Opioids are] not only affecting the person that
is addicted; addiction affects everyone in their environment. Everyone’s life
is important and we cannot just mark out the people that are addicted or just
give up on them. We have to make a
difference to change the future generations, give people another choice to do
something good.
You are not
alone, and no matter how bad it gets there is always hope. Talking about your
personal connection to this issue can be scary but you can possibly change
someone’s life.
This unit challenged my
peers to open their hearts and their minds to the addiction crisis. Our
educators have called us to be the change we want to see. We have taken on the
responsibility to speak life and love to the pain present in our community. If
we help heal the wounded before addiction takes route then we change not only
the lives of the addicted but those affected by the addicted. It starts with
community to end addiction and it’ll be this village that kills Goliath.
I trust these students will go on to study
other community problems. They have lots
to learn and lots of wisdom to share.
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