About Us
Our Story
During the 2015-2016 school year, high school students at Innovation Academy Charter School (Tyngsboro, MA) were invited to an event hosted by a neighboring high school. The event was publicized on the school’s weekly newsletter, The Hawk. Students in Ms. Derival’s science classes were offered extra credit points to attend so that they could learn more about the opioid epidemic plaguing their community. The event was featured in the Lowell Sun in November 2015. Here is a link to their article: Grim Reality at Lowell High Opioid Forum After the event, several students indicated interest in wanting to learn more about the epidemic, and what they can do to provide support for loved ones, learn more, and share information with other students on campus. They organized a new club on campus, called IACS DEALs (Innovation Academy Charter School Drug Education and Awareness Leaders). Below are statements from the students who co-founded IACS DEALs.
From Emma Chaitin, Class of 2017:
We are a part of an elective class at our school called Drugs and Society where we explore drugs from when the War on Drugs began, the chemistry and psychology behind drugs, the stigma against addicts, the ever-changing government laws and policies surrounding the issue, and the impact of drugs on our local communities.Why
Addiction impacts everyone and I want people to understand it. I want people to understand that compassion can really heal and that those who suffer from addiction are not bad people. Addiction is no longer “not our problem” it is everyone’s problem. Everyone knows somebody who suffers from addiction. My ultimate goal is to educate students on drugs and addiction from many different perspectives so students leave with a stronger understanding of all the sides of addiction. Most importantly, I want students to leave with a better understanding to help and support somebody they love who is suffering.What we do
We explore the history, current policies, chemistry, psychology and stigmas of addiction and how it impacts our world on a local and global level. We work through these issues using many different strategies, a large one being systems dynamics, often found in the workplace. We raise awareness in our school community through encouraging class discussion and events throughout the year.From Kiersten Callery, Class of 2018:
Although many people are unaware of this, there is currently what is being called an opioid epidemic throughout the US but especially within Massachusetts. Many more people are using opioids such as heroin and overdosing than ever before. Like many of those people, I was very unaware of this issue until it was being talked about in my forensic science class this year. After hearing about this problem, I decided that it was something that I wanted to dedicate some of my time to. Later on, I became involved in a club at my school called IACS DEALS that talked about these issues and worked to further educate people on these issues.
As a group, we organized an event that we would hold at the school to help make people aware of this issue that was becoming more and more prominent within our community. In the “Communities in Crisis: Awareness and Response” event, a movie was viewed that explained the current epidemic and was followed by a panel, including police, hospital workers, volunteers, parents, and people struggling with addiction, who further discussed the issue. These personal stories added to the powerful message being conveyed through this event and left everyone feeling impacted and more aware of how large of an epidemic it is. We created posters and other displays that portrayed addiction and facts about the crisis. The final major component to this event was the “Hidden in Plain Sight” room that showed the room of an addict and helped parents to further identify the signs of addiction.
This was a large scale event that required an immense amount of planning, but there are many other ways everyone within the community can get involved and help to end this epidemic. Opportunities exist for volunteering at organizations involved or spreading awareness via posters, flyers, speeches or even simple conversations. Everyone within the community has a role in solving this epidemic and making the community better no matter how small the contribution may be.
From Elizabeth DiGesse, Class of 2018:
My mom has always taught me that everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. I have never seen a better example than what happened the night of our school’s drug awareness presentation called, “Communities in Crisis: Awareness and Response”. I am going to call the young women from this story Jane for her privacy. Jane and her mother arrived at the event right on time. From first impressions, the duo seemed confident in themselves, as if they could take over the world. I soon learned that this wasn’t always the case.
About an hour later, volunteer presentations began in the auditorium. Jane’s mother was the second to speak. I would come to find out that Jane was a former student at the school I am currently attending. Two weeks before her graduation, she broke down to her mother saying that she needed help for an opioid addiction. Upon hearing this, I realized something I never have before. The beautiful young lady who seemed as though nothing could stop her, was now crying in her seat recalling her battle with drug addiction. I realized that no matter how hard she tries, she will never be able to get back the terrible years that she struggled with a disease as burdensome as addiction. Her mother continued to speak about her year of struggle getting her daughter in and out of rehab, and doing as much as she could so she could get her baby back.
This is why I am in IACS DEALS. I hope through the work my peers and I are doing, I will be able to get someone's son or daughter back home, sober and healthier than they have ever been. At fifteen, I am not able to do a lot yet to help addicts, but hopefully through awareness, I will be able to help inspire someone who will. To close her presentation, Jane’s mother announced that her daughter was three years clean from drugs. Hopefully through our work, we will be able to help other people to say that about themselves, or others in their lives that are affected.
CVS/Pharmacy Prescription Drug Abuse Presentation
All students attended a presentation about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Thank you to CVS Pharmacy for providing further information for our students on this important topic.