Your students may dream of being a pro athlete, a scientist, or of just making good grades. No one dreams of becoming addicted to drugs, but all across America, students’ dreams are being derailed by opioids.

No matter how it begins, recovery from addiction is a struggle. Give middle and high school students the information they need about how addiction can start in Opioids: Real People. Real Stories. Real Science. You will meet:

• Two retired professional athletes who understand the pressure to play through pain and now focus their efforts on giving alternative pain management options to young athletes.
• A musician who played at Carnegie Hall before becoming addicted and now supports musicians who are in recovery.
• Three generations affected by opioid addiction who define the far-reaching impact of this crisis.

The On the Frontlines of the Opioid Epidemic: A Community Fighting Back Virtual Field Trip visited Huntington, West Virginia — a typical American community that has been greatly impacted by the opioid epidemic — to hear the powerful personal stories from the bravest teens and change makers in the city. Students will learn how opioids have affected their lives, how they are using their experiences to improve the city, and ways your students could make a positive impact on their own communities.

Prepare your students for the virtual field trip. This assignment could help save a life. Download this companion activity and start a dialogue with your classroom prior to the virtual field trip.

Download Activity

The Science Behind Opioid Addiction Virtual Field Trip explored the science of addiction to help middle and high school students understand how prescription drugs and heroin affect the brain and body. During this powerful forum, students got the unfiltered facts about drugs and addiction and had their questions answered by leading experts, including DEA agents and pharmacologists.

Prepare your students for the virtual field trip by downloading the Companion Guide.

Download Companion Guide