Attorney General Marty Jackley brings Ask, Listen, Learn to Axtell Middle School
SIOUX FALLS — Today, Attorney General Marty Jackley partnered with The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility’s Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix program to motivate 750 students at Axtell Middle School to “say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking.”
“The students here today are the future of South Dakota,” said General Jackley. “I’m proud to be here with Ask, Listen, Learn to encourage every single one of them to think about their goals and dreams, and make sure they know that living a lifestyle that avoids underage drinking will keep them on the right path to success.”
General Jackley applauded the students as they eagerly stomped their feet on the interactive Ask, Listen, Learn game mat to garner high scores in the running competition. The game enables youth to learn about the negative consequences of underage drinking and the benefits of making healthy decisions while they exercise.The premise is based on research by Harvard Medical School’s Dr. John Ratey, showing that for a person’s brain to function at its peak, the body needs to move. The multimedia program includes the game and print materials, with the website presenting a pledge to live a healthy lifestyle, online games and pages featuring Ask, Listen, Learn Superstars.
“We love having Ask, Listen, Learn in our classrooms,” raved Axtell Middle School Principal Lavonna Emanuel, “The students love getting out of their seats for a new approach to learning about healthy life choices. Running and jumping along with a video game while answering questions is much more fun than reading these statistics in books.”
“The availability of alcohol to underage youth has declined for more than a decade, yet 11 percent of 8th graders report they have consumed alcohol in the past month,” said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. “Our goal is to start conversations about the dangers of underage drinking with these students early, and encourage trusted adults in school and at home to reinforce this message often. We’re happy General Jackley and Principal Emanuel could be here with us today to jumpstart these efforts in Sioux Falls.”
About Ask, Listen, Learn
Ask, Listen, Learn is the most widely distributed alcohol education program of its kind. Ask, Listen, Learn’s initiatives include Asklistenlearn.com, a website that encourages kids to “say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking” by offering kids interactive and educational games and videos. Kids can read about positive role models and take a pledge to make healthy choices. Parents and educators are also encouraged to visit the site for tips on how to facilitate these conversations and read interviews with gymnast Aly Raisman’s parents on how they talked to their kids about underage drinking. Ask, Listen, Learn is also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest constantly promoting a healthy lifestyle message.
About The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility is a national not-for-profit leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility promotes responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol and develops and implements innovative programs and public awareness campaigns which ignite action through strategic partnerships. Established in 1991, their initiatives are highlighted online at www.www.responsibility.org and www.asklistenlearn.org.