West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute

Project Name:

Immersive & Interactive Substance Use Prevention Education for Youth and Families: A Replicable Project for Communities, Schools, and Counties

Award Received:

$124,687.50

Visit their website:

https://www.wvdii.org

Award Summary:

Funds are being used to develop and pilot a comprehensive, replicable youth prevention education model using Huntington’s Safety Town as the launch site. This investment supports a three-pronged approach that combines interactive medication safety education, hands-on learning about brain health and substance use disorder, and targeted fentanyl awareness resources for parents and caregivers. Resources fund delivery of evidence-based curricula to youth and families, expansion of prevention education through school partnerships, development of permanent educational exhibits and take-home materials, and creation of parent-focused tools reinforced by regional public service messaging. Guided by coordinated evaluation and data collection, the initiative will produce an implementation toolkit to support statewide replication and strengthen youth prevention efforts across West Virginia.