The Content
This NTC case story on our anti-smoking educational program 2 Smart 2 Smoke consists of a unique live-action video and corresponding. Delivered to 160 elementary schools around the Twin Cities in Minnesota, 2 Smart 2 Smoke brought a dynamic in-school theatrical performance to students in grades 1-6 along with follow-up activities for use in the classroom and at home. Seventeen schools were also randomly selected to participate in a more in-depth study involving pre- and post-show questionnaires to measure students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward smoking both before and after the in-school event and classroom learning. Incorporating storytelling, improvised comedy and audience participation, 2 Smart 2 Smoke used the creative arts to appeal to students emotionally and maximize audience engagement and retention.
The main points of both the video and the whitepaper include:
- Goals of the program and the approach used in its implementation
- The power of live in-school theatre to engage students and encourage positive behavior change
- Measurable impacts of the program, using quantifiable data from pre- and post-show questionnaires
- Lessons learned from the program, including the three necessary elements of any successful school-based health and wellness outreach
Our Approach
This case story details the implementation of the 2 Smart 2 Smoke program from conception to follow-up evaluation and was originally published in the journal Tobacco Control. The goal of the program was primarily to reduce the psychosocial risk of smoking among elementary students, and secondarily to change normative expectations, functional meanings, expected outcomes and attitudes about smoking.
We believe audiences learn more effectively if they engage creatively and emotionally with stories and characters. It is this emphasis on the creative arts and the power of storytelling that distinguished 2 Smart 2 Smoke from numerous other anti-smoking programs implemented throughout the country.
Just as our in-school programs embrace the power of creativity by presenting health and wellness education to students in imaginative ways, our case story video uses an innovative blend of animation and live-action to outline the details of the program. It’s an excellent introduction to the full downloadable case story whitepaper. Both The video and printable supplement provide an overview of this effective program which can easily be replicated to deliver K-12 educational programs to schools in your community.
Key Takeaways
Younger generations will play a vital role in the future of the healthcare industry. They will eventually make up part of the workforce of course but they will be patients as well. Intervening at an early age to form positive, healthy habits provides a platform of knowledge for kids to build upon. This makes K-12 health and wellness outreach more important than ever, including anti-smoking education among many other topics. This case story reveals how NTC implemented an effective anti-smoking program and measured its results through evaluation data.
The 2 Smart 2 Smoke program imparted many lessons, some of which are detailed in this case story. Among the key takeaways discussed:
- Combining an array of educational approaches with measurable analysis allows health organizations to maximize the impact of their outreach efforts
- Presenting students with an opportunity to emulate peers and act in a positive way within the large social group of a school population creates an environment conducive to behavioral change and effective action
- Comparison of pre- and post-show survey results revealed a change in normative expectations, expected outcomes and attitudes toward smoking for students in grades 1-6
- This educational model can be replicated and scaled by other health organizations to achieve similar results
Watch the case story video and download the PDF to discover what else NTC learned about delivering a high-impact health and wellness education program to K-12 schools.