WHEREAS, instances of substance abuse, bullying, gang activity, violence, and disrespect for authority have reached alarming proportions in Hawaii's elementary, middle, and high schools; and

WHEREAS, school administrators, personnel, and support staff struggle to maintain workloads and achieve standards that focus only on educational goals; and

WHEREAS, the Student Future Awareness Program educates students about the consequences of negative involvement with gangs, violence, and drugs; and

WHEREAS, the program teaches students the links between issues that include: negative peer pressure, drug use, gang violence, sexuality, runaways, and youth living on the streets; and

WHEREAS, the program assists students with choosing alternate strategies to deal with negative peer pressure, home problems, and school stress by encouraging them to make decisions that lead to positive recognition and enhanced acceptance among their peers and community members; and

WHEREAS, the program honors students' freedom to make life choices that will result in positive outcomes and will help them to become law-abiding, successful citizens; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health provides education, outreach, and awareness to school-age youth on drug abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, cessation of tobacco use, and healthy lifestyles; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Human Services provides training, education, and public awareness programs affecting the capacity of Hawaii youth to be productive members of society; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that Department of Health is requested to implement a public-private partnership pilot project with the Student Future Awareness Program to provide early intervention services to minimize drug use, gang activity, and violence among Hawaii's school-age youth; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to implement this pilot project in collaboration with:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the implementors of this pilot project are requested to work with a recognized University of Hawaii researcher of risk-reducing behaviors among youth, to evaluate the effectiveness of this program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is requested that the Student Future Awareness Program serve as a pilot project to selected elementary, middle, and high schools on the island of Oahu within the 2006-2007 school year; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health and other implementors of this pilot project are requested to assess the feasibility of integrating the Student Future Awareness Program into existing school programs or curricula; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report on the status of the pilot project, including proposed legislation, if any, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Education, the Director of Human Services, the Director of Public Safety, the Attorney General, and the Executive Director of the Student Future Awareness Program.

Report Title:

Education; Youth Programs; Student Future Awareness Program