Social norm project begins at MHS
Staff reporter
Marion High School is being used as a pilot program for a social norm project.
Director of Marion County Communities in Schools Linda Ogden told Marion Kiwanis Club Monday that this program will help the Marion community promote healthy behavior.
Marion County has a drug problem is the public's perception, Ogden said, while in fact it does not.
"This study will measure actual behavior and then measures perceptual behavior," she said.
Consultants Jim Campain of Colorado's Poudre School District, and Scoot Crandall, executive director of TEAM Fort Collins, interviewed various members of the Marion community.
Ogden used the example of under-age alcohol use.
"Very few kids actually do this," she said, "but the perception is more do."
A marketing message will be derived from this study, one that will be youth-driven and positive.
"We lost a family of six because of poor public perception," Ogden said. "They were told Marion County had a drug problem."
The study is funded through the CIS grant and Ogden hopes to expand it to other school districts within the county.
The consultants said they have found a "renewed source of energy and enthusiasm at all sites that are utilizing the social norms strategy."
They have found that schools and communities have been able to "move the needle" on shifting perceptions about risky behaviors which have resulted in healthier attitudes and behaviors among students.
Ogden said a marketing strategy will be determined by November.
