Make Your NCAAW an Award Winner!
With the evaluation of NCAAW done, it is time to sit back and relax - right? Wrong! If you and your NCAAW committees went to all of the trouble and work to develop a comprehensive set of activities for National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week and year-round programs, you deserve a chance for some national recognition.

Each year the Task Force sponsors an awards program for those schools participating in NCAAW and year round alcohol and drug abuse prevention efforts. This competition includes not only national recognition, but cash awards as well. The best part of the deal is that if you follow the steps in this manual, much of your work is already done.

As a follow-up to your evaluation efforts, create a written report that outlines all activities and documents that were accomplished throughout the academic year. Compiled in a three-ring notebook format, this will be an extremely valuable tool for planning NCAAW the following year. Be sure to include samples of artwork, promotional materials, media coverage and evaluation summaries. This way, not only have you created a permanent record of your efforts, but you can easily show off your program to administrators, potential funders and as a recruitment tool for future committee members. The next step is to take this information and apply for recognition.

AWARD
Each award-winning institution will receive a $5,000 grant and plaque commemorating this acheivement. These awards will be presented in Washington DC during a Capitol Hill Event. A special thanks goes to the Coors Brewing Company for sponsoring these awards on behalf of the Task Force.

NEW JUDGING CRITERIA for 2003-2004
Grants will be awarded to the three instituions that score highest overall based on the review criteria listed below. The criteria was designed to reflect programs that are having an impact. Entries will be judged for their impact on year-round alcohol education programming, support for NCAAW, significant use of evidenced-based approaches in their prevention efforts, breadth of participation/collaboration, and evaluation. Please keep these emphases in mind as you complete your NCAAW planning and activities for the 2003-2004 academic year. Entries will be judged on the total number of pioints scored. It is possible, but not necessary, to score points in every category to be eligible. Beginning in 2003, award winners are not eligible to win an award two years in a row. Application documentation submitted outlining activities in the five major areas listed below cannot exceed 15 pages total. However, you may include up to 5 pages of support materials such as photographs of events and copies of ads and articles from local and campus media.

Institutions may receive points in following review areas:

1. Comprehensiveness of Year-Round Program - 5 points
   What does the overall scope of your campus prevention program look like? Does your year-round program involve prevention (education), intervention (peer counseling, mentor programs) or referral components? Are there social and interactive programs that support non-drinkers and responsible use? Are there awareness campaigns that focus attention on alcohol abuse prevention and related topics? Briefly describe each activity and the process used to motivate involvement in planning and implementation. Were the activities innovative? Please provide a complete list of your year-round prevention activities.
   
   
2. Foundation for NCAAW Programs - 5 points
   Who was invited to participate in planning and implementing NCAAW? What was your schedule of events and levels of participation for each program? How were events publicized? Were student organizations, faculty, staff administrators, parents, alumni, and members of the local community involved in some way? Did your NCAAW program reach beyond the campus community (e.g., local high school)? What impact did your NCAAW have? Was there local and campus media coverage of your events?
   
   
3. Use of Evidenced-Based Approach in Prevention Activities – 5 points
   In what ways did your programs utilize evidenced-based methods and strategies in looking at alcohol abuse prevention issues? Evidence based approaches for which evidence of effectiveness has been documented include social norms, harm reduction, etc. What model or methods did you use to design your strategies? What media avenues were utilized in promoting your program to the campus community? Who were the stakeholders involved in developing and implementing the prevention efforts? What was the campus reaction to these efforts? How are you collecting feedback on your prevention activities? Was there local and campus media coverage of these activities? What is your method for gathering data to prove effectiveness of your program?
   
   
4. Use of Social Norms Approach in Prevention Activities
   – 5 points
   Did your programs utilize a social norms approach in looking at alcohol abuse prevention issues? What data did you use to design your messages? What media avenues were utilized in promoting your healthy behavior messages to the campus community? Who were the stakeholders involved in developing and implementing the social norms campaign? What was the campus reaction to these efforts? How are you collecting feedback on your social norms efforts? Was there local and campus media coverage of these activities?
   
   
5. Breadth of Participation/Collaboration - 5 points
   What year-round prevention activities became a vehicle for campus collaboration with other organizations, offices, departments, and local agencies? Because of your program efforts, did you see positive results, policy changes or changes in actual behavior patterns? Did key campus offices or leadership organizations on your campus recognize your efforts? Have your events and outreach efforts expanded the agenda to promote health and wellness issues on campus?
   
   
6. Evaluation - 5 points
   How have you evaluated your events and year-round program efforts? Did members of the university community evaluate the role of alcohol misuse in their lives? Give specific examples on how you collected information from students on your campus about making safer decisions about abusive behavior. What additional programs or information would interest participants during the rest of the year? Is this information available in summary form?

DEADLINES
Submit the application information outlined above, along with appropriate support material, by April 1, 2004 to:

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week
c/o Dr. Herbert Songer
Vice President for Student Affairs
Fort Hays State University
600 Park St.
Hays, Kansas 67601-4099
PH: (785) 628-4277
FAX: (785) 628-4113
E-mail

Submitted applications become property of the Inter-Association Task Force on Campus Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues and will not be returned unless specific arrangements are made ahead of time.

Decisions will be made and winners notified by July 1, 2004.