CLEAR – Clean Living Encouragement and Responsibility – is a student led group club that encourages Friendswood students to stay away from drug and alcohol use. The club is now in its third year at the Friendswood Junior High and High Schools and continues to have a positive impact on the community.

This group challenges students to take a step up and out into the light letting other students know that it is not the norm to do drugs, but rather many students prefer to live a drug free – a clear – life. In this way students become leaders and create an awareness of the positive opportunities and lifestyles that result from staying away from substance use. By participating in this voluntary program students show their commitment by volunteering to be randomly drug tested.

Each group must find sponsors from among their teachers to help support students in planning substance free activities, educating the community and guiding the students on this path by answering questions, addressing concerns and fears, and supporting them in their healthy choices.

Teachers Megan Marshall, Corey Dalton, and Lindsay Hutchins enthusiastically filled the role of sponsors at the Friendswood Junior High. Megan Marshall was actually in CLEAR when she was in high school and stands behind the program. Sophie Wostal, Paul Tucker and Kristen Castillo have come forward as sponsors at the Friendswood High School because they believe in the program and the positive effect it will have on students’ lives.

“I know every year these kids are propositioned about drugs and alcohol at an earlier age. CLEAR is a program worth fighting for! Having a group that gives students an outlet to express concerns, questions, fears, etc about substance abuse, peer pressure, stress and anything else they want is amazing!”

For more information about CLEAR, how to join or how you can support their efforts, you may contact sponsors on each campus: Friendswood High School - http://www.fisdk12.net/hs/organizations.html, Friendswood Junior High - http://www.fisdk12.net/jh/FJH_Clubs.html, or you can contact Lynn Shigekawa (Coordinator of the Friendswood Alliance for Youth and Families) at 281-482-1267 ext 237, or by email at lshigekawa@fisdk12.net

Source: www.hcnonline.com/friendswood_journal