What Is it All About?
Call for submissions on topics that are specific to your community, such as: vaping cannabis, edibles, dangers of multiple, concurrent substance use, driving high, staying safe, cannabis and mental health, and exploring healthier choices.
Why Do It?
The written word can be powerful for addressing social issues about cannabis. Cannabis is dangerous for youth, although it’s readily used amongst youth. Advocating for student health and spreading knowledge can help people in your community make more informed decisions. Make your voice heard while learning more about cannabis!
How Do We Do It?
Work with your team and your adult allies to decide on a list of topics that you think your community would find interesting and/or benefit from knowing more about.
Call for different types of submissions; for example, blogs, poems, short stories, original songs, comic strips, or infographs. Include dates for submissions and other instructions that might be needed (e.g., rules, length of submission).
Promote collaboration by encouraging partner or team submissions.
Work with your adult ally/allies to select and showcase final entries on school information boards, on school websites, on school social media pages, in school newsletters, and/or in a community newspaper!
Create a zine from the entries and display the copies around the school. A zine is a homemade publication, and making a zine is all about self-expression and creativity. You can also post an e-version of a zine on the school website.
Consider awarding prizes for entries based on criteria your team generates (e.g., most thought provoking, most creative, most compelling).
Ideas for Use in a Variety of Settings
Use a shared document with your team members to decide on a list of topics that your community would find interesting and/or that your benefit from knowing more about.
Use your school media platforms to promote the event and showcase final entries.
Use available technology to assemble the entries into a zine and display electronic copies on your school media platforms (e.g., school website).
What Else Do We Need?
- List of suggested topics and the option for students to choose their own topic upon approval
- Rules for submissions
- Writing and craft materials depending on submission needs (e.g., paper, scissors, pen, pencils, markers, glue sticks, stickers, stamps, old magazines, or suggested websites/computer applications to create visually appealing documents
- Prizes for entries (optional)
- $10–20 that may be acquired through fundraising for zine materials and/or prizes. Speak to your teacher about possible fundraising ideas.
How Do We Get Creative?
Design zines around different topics or types of submissions.
Create pop-up displays of the submissions around the school.
Create a Cannabis Awareness Week and read part of the submissions over the public address (PA) system.
Publish the zine in digital format and share with the local community through the school website.