As the co-founder of Gregg’s Gift, I have had the privilege—and the heartbreak—of listening to many families, educators, and young adults talk about how substance use crept into their lives. One theme comes up again and again: the signs were there long before the crisis.
Schools sit at the crossroads of those early signs.
They are among the few places where young people spend hours each day, surrounded by adults who are not just teaching math or literature, but quietly observing behavior, mood shifts, social withdrawal, risk-taking, and stress. When schools are equipped, supported, and engaged in prevention, they can be powerful protectors of young lives. When they are not, warning signs too often slip through what should have been seen as vulnerable cracks.
This is why engaging schools in prevention is not optional—it is essential.
Prevention Is Not a Program. It’s a Culture.
One of the most common misconceptions about prevention is that it consists of a single assembly, a health class unit, or a guest speaker who comes once a year. While these efforts can raise awareness, they rarely change outcomes on their own. Young adults undergo changes, moods, influences, disappointments every day and a one-time warning will not have impact, months later. Effective prevention is woven into school culture. It shows up in how teachers talk to students, how counselors are trained, how policies are enforced with compassion instead of punishment, and how families are invited into honest conversations rather than shamed or excluded.
When schools treat substance use as a moral failure or discipline issue, students learn to hide, parents avoid important conversations with their kids’ teachers and counselors. When schools treat it as a physical or mental health and developmental issue, students learn it is safe to ask for help. And that is critical; it’s difficult for overburdened teachers to be keenly aware of their students’ possible vulnerability, especially if they see them for just one short school period each day or week.
Why Schools Matter So Much
From our work supporting eight international organizations serving at-risk and recovering young adults, we see the same pattern repeatedly:
* Most young adults who struggle with substance use began experimenting years earlier.
* Many experience anxiety, depression, trauma, learning differences, or social isolation in school.
* Very few felt comfortable telling an adult what was really going on.
Schools are often the first place substance exposure occurs, but they can also be the first line of defense. Educators are uniquely positioned to:
* Notice sudden changes in attendance or academic performance
* Observe shifts in peer groups or behavior
* Hear concerning language, jokes, or rumors before families do
* Normalize conversations about stress, coping, and emotional health
When schools partner with prevention organizations, mental health professionals, and families, those observations can turn into early, life-altering interventions.
What Engaged School Prevention Actually Looks Like
Engaging schools in prevention does not mean turning educators into therapists or law enforcement. It means giving them tools, language, and support. We’ve learned that some of the most effective prevention-focused schools share these four elements:
- Education That Is Honest, Not Fear-Based
Young people are deeply skeptical. They tune out scare tactics, exaggerated statistics, and outdated messaging. Prevention education works when it is grounded in real science, real stories, and respect for students’ intelligence. When students understand the relationship between substances and their mental health and emotional regulation, they begin making more informed choices.
- Emphasis on Coping Skills, Not Just Substances
Substances are often symptoms, not causes. Anxiety, pressure to perform, social comparison, trauma, and loneliness drive risky behaviors. Schools that teach stress management, emotional literacy, decision-making, and resilience are strategic; they are protecting more than their students; they’re improving the quality of life for their future communities.
- Trusted Adults and Safe Conversations
Prevention requires trusting relationships. Students are far more likely to speak up, to seek advice or feedback when they believe an adult will listen rather than punish. This means training teachers, coaches, and staff to respond calmly, confidentially, and supportively when concerns arise.
- Clear Pathways to Help
Not every school needs in-house services, but every school needs clear next steps. Families should know where to turn. Students should know what happens after they raise their hand. Silence and uncertainty fuel fear; clarity builds trust.
The Role Families Play—and How Schools Can Support Them
Families often tell us they felt blindsided when a substance issue finally came into the open. Many were sensing something was wrong but didn’t know what it was or were afraid they might overreact in addressing their concerns.
Schools that engage families early, without judgment, can change this dynamic. Education on creating warm (or at least polite) family nights, written resources, and proactive communication help parents recognize early warning signs and understand how to respond without panic or denial. When schools partner with families instead of positioning themselves against them, the student benefits most.
Why Prevention Needs Philanthropic Support
Here is the reality: schools are stretched thin. Teachers are managing overcrowded classrooms. Counselors handle impossible caseloads. Administrators are juggling academic mandates, safety concerns, and staffing shortages. Prevention often becomes a “nice to have” rather than a core priority—not because it isn’t important, but because resources are scarce and recognized priorities must get first attention.
This is where donors play a critical role. Philanthropic support allows schools to:
* Bring in evidence-based prevention programs
* Train staff without pulling from classroom budgets
* Partner with nonprofit organizations that specialize in youth risk and recovery
* Extend services to underserved and vulnerable populations
At Gregg’s Gift, donor contributions can directly support organizations that work hand-in-hand with schools—helping educators intervene earlier, respond better, and support students long before a crisis becomes a tragedy.
Prevention Is Personal
For many of our donor families, prevention is no longer theoretical. It is deeply personal. It’s the parent who says, “I wish someone had noticed sooner.”
The educator who says, “I didn’t know what to say when he came to me.”
The young adult who says, “If one person had asked the right question, everything might have been different.”
Engaging schools in prevention is not about blame. It is about possibility. Every young person who learns healthier ways to cope, every teacher who feels confident having a difficult conversation, every parent who is supported instead of shamed—these moments add up. They save lives.
Moving Forward Together
When we invest in school-based prevention, we invest in futures that do not have to be derailed by addiction. We invest in earlier conversations, stronger support systems, and communities that understand substance use through a lens of health, compassion, and hope.
At Gregg’s Gift, we believe prevention works best when it starts early, involves everyone, and is sustained by people who care enough to act.
Your support makes that possible.
Together, we can help schools become not just places of learning, but places of protection—where young adults are seen, supported, and given the chance to thrive long before they ever need recovery. Learn more here.