MCCALLUM HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT GRADUATION

SHATTERED DREAMS Program

 

The Shattered Dreams program was enacted at McCallum High School April 22-23. 2015.

 

The "Shattered Dreams" program involves the dramatization of an alcohol-related crash on or near a high school campus, complete with police and EMS response, emergency room treatment, family notifications, and the arrest and booking of the driver. The crash scene drama was played out before the upperclass students during a school day. Throughout the day other elements of the "docu-drama" unfolded. To give students a better understanding of the number of DWI-related deaths, an individual dressed as the "Grim Reaper" appeared periodically throughout the school day to select a new victim. The victims were taken out of class, made-up in white faces and dressed in black t-shirts to symbolize death, and then returned to their classrooms to continue their day. By the end of the day, every student had one or more "dead" classmates present in the classroom with him, and on this note the school day ended.

 

The next afternoon a mock funeral and a wrap-up assembly were held featuring those who played roles in the previous day's drama, including the "crash" victims, the drunk driver, their parents, and participating law enforcement and medical personnel. Impact statements from community members whose lives have been affected by teenage alcohol use and drunk driving brought closure to the program and reinforced its dual message for the teenage audience -- Don't drink until you are 21, and never drink and drive.

 

To see the video that was made of the 2015 Shattered Dreams program at McCallum, visit https://youtu.be/DCq7rK5T4dI