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PROM Campaign Kickoff Webinar
Campaign Overview
Sponsored by Missouri SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and ACT Missouri, Missouri’s school districts are invited to participate in the Please Return on Monday (PROM) Campaign to raise awareness on the youth risks before, during, and after prom. The PROM Campaign is now in its fifth year, created and developed with the help of youth leaders in the Missouri Youth Ambassador Program.
Purpose
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports an increase in teen related vehicular deaths the weekends of prom and graduation season, with 1 in 3 teen related vehicular deaths occurring in this annual period alone.
Please Return on Monday (PROM) is a statewide campaign to promote safe decision making by teens before, during, and after their school district’s prom. Students are at risk of peer pressure use drugs and alcohol and, mixed with late night driving, the risk is far too great to ignore. Use can occur during unsupervised moments such as transportation to and from prom functions and during parties after prom.
Goals
1.Provide a direct to attendee method of communication regarding prom risks
2.Engage school and community leaders to showcase community benefit
3.Reduce the percentage of youth engaging in risky behavior before, during, and after prom
Activities
Before Prom – Floral, Tux, Dress, Nail & Restaurant Cards (order prints by 2/21)
Before Prom – Elementary & Middle School Postcard Campaign (order prints by 2/21)
During Prom – Photo Booth Props (order prints by 2/21)
During Prom – DJ/Staff Announcements
After Prom – Parental/Guardian PROMise
After Prom – Gas Station/Liquor Store Cooler Stickers (order prints by 2/21)
Campaign Contact Information:
Chris Dzurick
Missouri SADD Coordinator
cdzurick@actmissouri.org
(573) 544-0914
Before PROM
Floral, Tux, Dress, Nail and Hair Salon & Restaurant Cards
PROM cards are a campaign that gets community members and local businesses involved in the safety of prom attendees by delivering a message for a safe and memorable evening.
The PROM cards include four messages for a safe and memorable evening for businesses frequented on or around the day of prom to distribute to attendees when they come into the business. SADD chapters are encouraged to work with local area businesses to assist them in providing the cards at the following times/manner, including:
Florists – Punch holes in the corner of cards to attach to corsage/boutonniere containers
Tuxedo Rental Stores – Punch holes in the corner of cards to attach to rental bags
Dress Shops – Punch holes in the corner of cards to attach to sale bags
Nail & Hair Salons – Distribute the card at the point of purchase along with receipts
Restaurants – Distribute the card at the point of purchase along with receipts
Tips
If printing your own tags, ensure you duplex your print and cut carefully Begin communicating with your local businesses early, at least one (1) month in advance
If your community does not have florists or tuxedo rental locations, consider nearby cities
that will serve as the main hub for prom attendees
Ensure the local businesses understand the tags are for your school’s prom by packaging
them appropriately with your school name and prom date
Leave contact information with your local businesses in case they run out of cards
Before PROM
Elementary & Middle School Postcard Campaign
The PROM letter writing campaign aims to engage younger students in the conversation of safe decision making and reminds prom attendees of their position as a role model at the point-of-purchase.
Elementary and middle school students are asked to write a message or draw an image of safety for prom attendees on a printed postcard, with the postcards being provided to prom attendees when they purchase or collect their tickets. Postcards include the five messages for a safe and memorable evening.
Tips
Begin working with educators in your elementary and middle school to gain their support
Have your SADD members or prom leadership visit the school to interact with young students during the campaign
Postcards will need to be collected before prom tickets go on sale or are delivered
Count the number of potential prom attendees you will have and ensure you distribute and collect enough postcards
During Prom
Photo Booth Props
To engage attendees at PROM and remind them of the importance of safe decision making as the night comes to an end, PROM photo booth props create a fun way to engage with a message of safety and memory creation.
Five types of props are available – sunglasses, a microphone, boombox, mustache, and an arrow sign – designed to mix with props for an existing photo booth or to act as a stand alone. Props include several messages related to traffic safety.
Tips
Props arrive on full sheets of paper and will need to be cut out and adhered to a stick in advance of prom.
Promote using the props and have a school staff or prom lead take photos of attendees
using the props for school social media
During Prom
DJ & Staff Announcements
Repetition of the PROM message is key to campaign success. To increase message retention during PROM, messages to be read by the DJ during the dance or by staff/prom leadership havebeen developed.
Messages
For when the dance begins “All right, prom superstars! The dance floor is officiallyopen! (cue that totally tubular party starter song ). I’m DJ ________, and I’m here tokeep the good vibes flowing all night. Got a song request? Hit me up—I’m ready to spin your faves! Let’s make safe choices, epic memories, and get this party started right!”
For during the dance “Whoa, you’re all looking totally rad tonight! Your dance moves? Beyond awesome—keep ‘em coming! Just remember, staying safe is the key to celebrating these unforgettable memories. Let’s keep the fun rolling and the night legendary!”
For the end of prom “All right, party people, it’s time to wrap up this totally rockin’ night! Remember to buckle up, drive safe, and rock those good choices on your way home. And hey—don’t forget to Please Return on Monday. Stay cool and see you soon!”
Tips
Print out this page with messages and send it in advance to the DJ or incorporate it into other announcements at prom
Spread out the messages over the course of the evening
Make adjustments or customize the messages to fit the theme of your local prom
Consider speaking with your DJ to avoid playing songs with references to drinking or other illegal behavior
After Prom
Parental/Guardian PROMise
Engagement with parents and guardians is key to setting expectations and parameters to prom. These individuals, when engaged with their youth, can ensure safe decisions are made, rules are set around the number of individuals in a vehicle, consequences to poor decision making is understood, and curfews are set.
The PROMise is a document to be completed by a parent/guardian alongside their youth. The document outlines timing of prom, along with establishing a curfew and consequences, notes the vehicle rules for prom, whether driving one’s self or riding with others, and laying out what is permitted after prom and the consequences of consuming alcohol.
The PROMise is signed and then, on the day of prom, the school sends a text message to parents/guardians to remind them to discuss the promise they made with their youth. The school sends a second message at the conclusion of prom to alert parents the event is over so they may contact their youth to once again remind them of the promise.
Text Message
Morning of prom “Prom is this evening! Has your child made a PROMise to come safely home after the dance?”
At the conclusion of prom “Prom has concluded! Did your child keep their PROMise? Check in with your child to make sure they are safe.”
Tips
Share the PROMise document at a school-wide event led by your SADD chapter or other school organization or deliver it through a mailer to all prom eligible parents/guardians
Provide the PROMise document to parents at least two weeks prior to prom
Utilize a school text message service to alert parents/guardians the day of prom or, in advance of prom, set up a text message service like Remind for
parents/guardians to register
After Prom
Gas Station/Liquor Store Signage
After prom is one of the most common times a youth may drink underage. Often thought as a right of passage or a way to fit in, youth access alcohol from a friend, older sibling, or stores that have lax ID rules that make it easy for youth to purchase on their own.
The Gas Station and Liquor Store signs are cooler decals that adhere to store coolers to remind individuals not to purchase alcohol for those underage. The message “If they can’t buy, don’t supply” sends a clear message to those purchasing for an underage youth and reminds them at the point of purchase to think again about the action.
Facts About Youth Alcohol Attainment
72 percent of teens who drink alcohol don’t pay for it
For teens who got alcohol in the past six months, parents were the supplier three times
Two out of three teens say it’s easy to get alcohol from their homes without parents knowing it
Two out of five teens say it’s easy to get alcohol from a friend’s parents
One in four teens has been to a party where teens drink in front of parents
One in four teens, including one in three girls, say their own parents have given them alcohol
Tips
Using your own information or by speaking with students or local law enforcement, target stores that have lax ID enforcement or may be common places
youth visit after prom
Work with local law enforcement on the campaign to distribute the decals
Be careful not to misconstrue fact. Missouri law allows minors to consume alcohol if purchased by a parent or legal guardian and consumed on their private property.
Additional Resources
PROM Campaign Kickoff Webinar
Learn about the campaign and all elements in a recording of the PROM Campaign Kickoff Webinar. To review a recording of the webinar, please click here.
Technical & Planning Assistance
If your SADD chapter or local school district requires campaign assistance, please contact:
Missouri SADD State Coordinator Chris Dzurick cdzurick@actmissouri.org
Reporting
Participating schools will be asked to report project outcomes to Missouri SADD here by May 15, 2025.
Summary – SADD chapters should complete a 500-word synopsis of their participation in the campaign, including what elements they used and the general success of implementation
Involvement & Impressions– SADD chapters should submit estimated usage of the program during the reporting, including number of impressions and participation in campaign elements
Photos – SADD chapters are asked to submit photos of the campaign for use in campaign advertisements in future years
Photo Notice
Any photos submitted to ACT Missouri and its managed organization Missouri SADD may be used for promotional purposes in marketing materials and on social media. By submitting a photo to ACT Missouri, you acknowledge all individuals in the photo are aware the photo may be used for commercial use and that no individuals in the photo are ineligible to have their likeness used.
Thank you for your interest in ordering printed materials from our PROM Campaign. Unfortunately, the ordering deadline has passed as of February 21, 2025. However, you are welcome to download any available items from our campaign page at: https://actmissouri.org/sadd/prom/. For any questions or additional assistance, please contact: Chris Dzurick Missouri SADD Coordinator Email: cdzurick@actmissouri.org Phone: (573) 544-0914
